Monkey in A Bottle
by Insomnia's Child
Summary: CHAP 3 EDITED!AU Prince Sanzo had everything a man could ever wish forgood looks, fame and fortune. So what will he do when he and his right hand man Gojyo, and the royal advisor Hakkai, finds a bottle housing an equally hyperactive genie named Son Goku?
1. Stolen Bottle

_**MONKEY IN A BOTTLE**_

_**By: Insomnia's Child**_

**_SUMMARY: Prince Genjo Sanzo had everything a man could ever wish for; good looks, fame and fortune. So what will he do when he and his right hand man, Sha Gojyo, and the royal family's advisor, Cho Hakkai, finds a bottle housing an equally hyper active genie named Son Goku?_**

**_CHAPTER 1: Stolen Bottle_**

This is the training room. In here, you will find all kinds of weapons that might have dated back to as long as the 11th century. The walls are decorated with intricate designs, as was the rest of the palace, and a few ornaments were hung here and there, but not too much for the fear of being broken. Often when one passes by here, the only thing that could be heard is the clinking of swords, which became a melody in itself and a sound that became too familiar for the occupants of the palace. However, this was not the only reason people frequently stop by, for the training room enclosed a view far more attractive than the famed deserts, gargantuan mountains and wonderful sunset found in the illustrious city of Chang'An, capital of the Tougenkyo Kingdom.

"You lose. Again."

This is Prince Genjo Sanzo, dressed in his usual attire - silver vest and pants made of the finest silk, adorned with jewels, with pointed ruby slippers. He was in the training room, as always, pointing his sword at an opponent's neck, victory evident in his angled face. In case no one knows, he is the only nephew of the great Queen Kanzeon, wife of the Sultan Jiroushin; and only heir to the Tougenkyo Kingdom. Many might be familiar with him, since he wasn't your average ordinary prince. He was one who defied almost all the rules, cursed like a sailor, even in front of royalty, and have never considered Allah, or anyone, for that matter, as his God, which was an insult itself to his people. So naturally, many of the people, mostly rebels and Muslim priests, did not want him to be the Kingdom's future ruler, wondering what would become of them if they had a Sultan who could not serve as a good example for everybody. Some had even gone as far as to try to ambush him, but fortunately, the Prince was a master when it came to swords so no one could have touched even a single hair of his.

"Aren't I generous today?"

This one, on the other hand, is Sha Gojyo, a man on his twenties, who had been serving as the Prince's right hand man ever since he was young. Long mane of red hair hung loosely on his back and his eyes were an eerie color that could've been mistaken for red. A careless observer would have also missed the two long lines of scars that decorated his left cheek, which was a very painful reminder of his dark past that continually haunted him every night. His famous hobbies, on the other hand, contained chasing after women and drinking wine. He was dressed in blue robes much simpler than the Prince's, but elegant nonetheless. His sword, which he held seconds ago, was now lying on the floor, a few inches from his feet.

"You mean to say, you've been generous with me for the past few years?" Prince Sanzo drawled as he sheathed his sword. He stood smirking, which was indeed a sight, since he was normally seen wearing a scowl on his face or terrorizing the poor palace servants. The only times he was in a less-than bad mood is when he beats a worthy opponent in sword fighting, which just so happens to be Gojyo, the only one who didn't flinch at the sight of him.

The mentioned right hand man, Gojyo, flashed him a grin as he reached back for his sword. "You're forgetting I beat you before, O Royal One," he told the Prince.

Prince Sanzo's smirk deepened. "Oh, are you referring to that contest we had when we were six? My, that does seem like such a long time, no wonder I couldn't remember it very well."

"Fine. So you excel in sword fighting. But don't let your ego get the better of you, Your Highness," Gojyo spoke the last two words with as much sarcasm as he could, "because this very man in front of you is the unbeatable champion of the whole Tougenkyo when it comes to hand-to-hand combat."

The prince rolled his eyes. "Arrogant man. That's because you always cheat."

"Cheat? I'm not a slimy, sneaky prince like you!"

"Tell that to me again and you die."

Anyone unfortunate enough to have witnessed this scene would've thought they were about to kill each other, what with Sanzo's low, threatening growl and Gojyo's teasing grin. But in fact, this was just another way of saying things were alright between the two of them. There's no concrete explanation, because to do so is like saying you know the reason cats hate dogs and vice versa. On the other hand, when they aren't talking or arguing, then start to worry about what's wrong.

"You've told that to me a thousand times, but here I am, still alive and breathing," the tanned man said.

"Humph. You're lucky I have a lot of patience."

"Patience? You mean the patience of a child?"

Sanzo gritted his teeth. "Just shut up and don't raise your voice. That annoying old woman might hear you again and find out where I am." Of course, by "annoying old woman", he was referring to Queen Kanzeon. That name was widely known around the palace and was spoken by servants and guards in whispers, yet the Prince was the only living creature who got away with calling her that in public. In fact, the Queen once told him that she found it all very amusing. It was very ironic, that intense dislike Sanzo had with his aunt, since almost everyone would have given up anything just to be a blood relative of Her Majesty herself.

"Oh, that's right. Forgive me for forgetting. You simply don't want the likes of her to further damage your already fading sanity."

If looks could kill, Gojyo could've been lying on the grand floor a long time ago. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Although the way Prince Sanzo spoke almost did the trick. "What do you mean, my already fading sanity?"

"You're still in denial?"

"Shut up or I'll slit your throat!"

Gojyo mockingly shook his head in sympathy. "Such strong words, Your Highness…" If there was one person in the kingdom who calls the Prince respectfully yet still manages to show his sarcasm, that could be none other than Gojyo. Sanzo ought to have hated him for his impudence, but it had the opposite effect, for this is what made him tolerate Gojyo more than the others.

"Now, now, are you two fighting again?"

Both turned their heads at the familiar voice. Now let me introduce to you the most trusted royal advisor, Cho Hakkai. He was a brunette the same age as Gojyo, whose brilliant green eyes sparkled with something that could only be wisdom. In fact, his intelligence was not only widely known in Tougenkyo, but in other kingdoms as well. Aside from his politeness and gentleness, this man is very well respected because he is the only one, and I mean the only one, who could make the Prince calm down during another one of his fits. And supposing that this habit of his became a daily occurrence, you must realize how grateful the people are to said fellow, Hakkai. He was also reportedly been the recent target for rumors that concerned his dead lover who was the daughter of one of the most prominent clans in the Kingdom, a certain girl named Kanan. No one knows for sure whether those rumors about him were true, but some were certain that Prince Sanzo and his right hand man Gojyo, who were often the advisor's companions, knew something about the matter.

"Why don't you ask our favorite Prince, eh?" was Gojyo's only reply.

"Let's not get all angry. After all, I bear grave news for Sanzo from Her Majesty herself," Cho Hakkai said, his gaze immediately turning to the Prince, who was sporting one of his looks that said "I don't like where this is coming".

"And what could be possibly worse than forcing me to another boring worship for their God?"

Hakkai smiled. "Forcing you to chose your bride," he said, amusement evident in his voice once he caught sight of Sanzo's reaction.

"Holy camel! Why that old wretched woman…" Prince Sanzo exclaimed angrily, his eyes narrowing. He had never looked this dangerous before. Hakkai immediately felt sorry in advance for Queen Kanzeon.

"In fact, she's looking for you right now. The Queen wants you to meet another princess from the kingdom of Agrahba. I heard she is quite lovely," Hakkai added, which, unfortunately, only made Sanzo's now awful mood worse.

"Why, I wish I was as lucky as you! What did you ever do to deserve this anyway?" Gojyo told the Prince, which wasn't helping him any better.

"Do you want me to feed you to the lions or will you shut up?" Sanzo growled.

Gojyo grinned. "There are no lions in Tougenkyo," he reasoned. Then he further inspected the Prince. Still looking at him, he said, "Only a certain old, wrinkled prince…"

Hakkai laughed nervously at the deadly look coming from Sanzo that might otherwise have poisoned Gojyo. "What shall we do?" he questioned His Highness.

Prince Sanzo glanced back at Hakkai. "The usual. Inform the others and prepare the camels," was his only remark.

"Of course. And what shall I tell Her Majesty?"

Sanzo rolled his eyes and sighed. "Use your imagination."

"As you wish," Hakkai said, smiling, and with the most abbreviated of bows, strode out of the room, his footsteps echoing throughout the walls.

"Oh, that's real good. Perfect timing. My stomach just screams 'Wine!'" Gojyo exclaimed as he rubbed his belly. "And I can't wait to see all those pretty girls!"

The Prince wrinkled his nose, not bothering to hide his disgust. "You are such a pig," he muttered under his breath as he grabbed their cloaks.

"Better a pig than you."

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"Ouch! You're stepping on my hand, you withering excuse for a prince! Get your foot off me!"

"There isn't that much space! I couldn't see a thing in this darkness. And pipe down, will you!"

"I can see your royal advisor's face smiling, Hakkai. How would you like me to step on you?"

"I swear your eyes are like that of an owl's, Gojyo."

"His looks, too."

"What was that!"

"Oh, look, we're almost there."

A few crawls were all it took before the tall figures of Gojyo, Sanzo and Hakkai emerged slowly, one by one, from a tunnel in the ground, big enough for one person to crawl onto. It was this secret escape tunnel that Sanzo and Gojyo had discovered a while back in their childhood years, and had been a big help to them whenever they wanted to escape the palace life and its people. No one, not even the Queen and King, knew of this secret exit. The moment the maids discover they were missing again, they would be long gone, having real fun with real people and not some stuck up royalty. And today was another one of those nights.

Gojyo carefully closed the tunnel and covered it with leaves and soil, but hardly anyone took notice of it anyway. "I don't want to imagine what the Queen will say when you get back," he told Prince Sanzo.

"Tch."

"You'll be in real big trouble, you know that?"

"Shhh!"

Hakkai quietly led them toward a dark corner where three camels were waiting side by side. He untied the ropes connecting the camel to the nearby tree and expertly climbed onto its back. Behind him, Sanzo and Gojyo did the same. And the threesome rode off into the black, star-filled night of Tougenkyo.

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"Wine! Wine! Wine! Wine!"

"How's it going?"

"Miss Lirin!"

"Listen, everyone, I'm going to sing! Theeeeeeeee blaaaack camel raaaaaaaan awaaaaay…"

"More wine!"

"Who wants to beat me at arm wrestling?"

"Miss Lirin!"

"Are you ladies all available?"

This is only one of the many taverns situated in the streets of Chang'An. People come here to create trouble, watch fights, grab girls, or just get plain drunk. The smell of rum and the never ending supply of laughter were so overpowering, and in every corner of the room there are all kinds of activities going on. People of all walks of lives come and go here, sailors, travelers, merchants, gypsies, dancers, sometimes even rich people who are looking for different forms of entertainment. But this tavern is much more than that, for it also doubled as the number one headquarters for the most popular thieves. In fact, the owner of the tavern is a thief himself.

Amidst all the chaos, a red haired girl with tanned skin was sitting on the farthest corner of the bar, wearing a short top that reached her midriff and trousers that were wide but close at the ankle, made of poor quality that looked worn, with no jewelry whatsoever. She was a rather short woman for her age, and looked nothing like the sort of person who would hang out at places like this, but she was a special case. For one thing, this girl's name is Lirin, one that had been famous all throughout the city. And for another, she had Kougaiji for a brother. Now, it is imperative to know this Kougaiji fellow since he plays a major role in this story, so let me do the talking. Kougaiji is a poor orphan turned King, or rather, Prince of the Thieves. There aren't just one kind of thieves, but two; a bad and a nice thief. Kougaiji is an example of the latter. He never steals from people poorer, younger and older than him, which goes to say that even thieves have their code of honor. But because a thief is still a thief, he had been hunted down by the authorities more times than you can imagine, and it was his quick wits and skills that always save him every time. Now back to Lirin. Being a thief's brother, you can very well imagine what her chosen profession is. As they say, same feathers stick together…

"Miss Lirin!"

"What is it, Yaone?"

The purple-haired woman standing in front of Lirin is Yaone, otherwise known as, you guessed it, another thief and one of Kougaiji's subordinates. She, too, was clad in an ensemble a little similar like Lirin's, although much more modest, and her long her was tied in high pigtails. Part of her face was also covered by a white veil. Bowing, she said, "There are people looking for you outside."

"But I'm busy eating!" Lirin whined, looking longingly at her half finished apple that she had smuggled at the marketplace a while ago.

"But Miss Lirin…"

"Fine, fine. I'm coming!" Lirin energetically hopped off her stool and followed her companion out of the tavern and towards the direction of three men. When she looked closer, she couldn't see their faces, for they were all covered in white cloaks.

Peering at them like some rare specimen, she asked, "Who are you?"

One of the men lowered his cloak, only to reveal red hair and tanned face. "It's us," he whispered.

Lirin's eyes widened and a grin escaped her face. "Aha! Sanzo and the gang!" she shouted.

"Shh! Not so loud!"

"Sorry," Lirin said. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Prince Sanzo drawled.

"No, it's not. Now will you please tell me?" Lirin pressed on.

"Look, we just came for a visit. Now can we please go inside so I can get taste my first glass of wine?" Gojyo said impatiently.

"Alright, alright. I'll teach you royalty to have some real fun," Lirin replied as she led the group into another area almost hidden beside the tavern, where a wooden door bearing a crescent, the symbol for the infamous thieves, stood tightly shut. She knocked three times, and a peephole on the door slid open.

"Who is it?" asked a man inside.

"It's me, Lirin. Yaone is with me. I've brought in Sanzo and the others," Lirin whispered as she tapped her foot impatiently.

They all heard the loud unlocking noise and a moment after, the door slid open and a tall, well-built man ushered them inside. "Hurry, hurry please."

Gojyo took the time in surveying the room. It was small and the only light came from several candles positioned in different places. The chairs were a bit dusty, and you could see hints of cobwebs hanging in some parts of the ceiling. He frowned. "This is no tavern," he said. He glared at Lirin. "I thought you're bringing me to where the ladies and the wine are?"

Lirin blinked innocently. "Oh, did I? But I'm going to tell you top secret information! Aren't you the least bit interested?" she told him, pouting.

Prince Sanzo narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, top secret information?" he repeated, not liking what was to happen.

Lirin grinned as she relaxed on her chair. "We're having a great looting session tomorrow morning at the marketplace and Brother wants you to join us," she explained.

Hakkai blinked. "You and Kougaiji are asking us to steal?"

"Aw, c'mon! It would be fun! We had you all covered up so no one will even recognize you. Besides, you know better than to refuse a favor from Brother," Lirin replied, grinning.

Gojyo laughed. "Do you actually want to know what the elders will say once they found out the great Prince Sanzo will be stealing from his own kingdom?" he told Sanzo.

"They'd be beyond mortified," Sanzo agreed.

"But I still don't think…" Hakkai, who was a man with honor, protested.

"Oh, to hell with your moral values!" the Prince said. "Hakkai, what do I have for tomorrow?"

Hakkai, who had memorized Sanzo's schedule to heart, didn't even need to think. "Your usual Prince lessons. Oh, and Lady Gyokumen Koushu will also be coming over for another tea session with the Queen," he said tonelessly.

Sanzo scowled. More than anything, he hated Gyokumen. She was another one of those stuck-up, filthy rich people and was a friend of his aunt. It was a wonder how the Queen could even stand talking to her, for she was known not for her money, but for the cruel ways she treats people. And whenever Lady Gyokumen visits the palace, she always makes it a point to have another talk with the Prince about one thing or another, things that don't concern Sanzo in any way, not to mention, she had an odd fascination with his golden locks, and likes to ruffle it as if Sanzo was a dog, which only made his mood worse and his blood boil.

"Gyokumen? Oh, really?" All of a sudden, Lirin started laughing really hard and came to explain to them about another one of her fun escapades wherein she, with the aid of Yaone and several others, stole quite a big sum of amount from the Lady herself. In fact, if there was anybody who hunted the famous thieves more than the establishment, it would be Gyokumen.

"That was wicked!" Gojyo finally said after Lirin ended her funny story. "I certainly want to try something like that, so what do you say, _Your Highness? _Shall we join these bandits? Whatever would they be without us?"

Sanzo considered the thought for awhile. It also helped that the image of Gyokumen Koushu, holding a cup of tea and chatting with the Queen, kept popping in his head, it made his stomach sick. "Consider it done," he finally said, ignoring Lirin's loud squeals of "Yahoo!"

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"Apples! Try our delicious apples!"

"Kind sir, perhaps you would like this carpet?"

"That would be thirty gold coins, madam!"

"Thank you for coming! Come back next time!"

This is Chang'An's large marketplace, where food and clothing are great business for thriving merchants and where money is at its most. The people of Tougenkyo are a busy lot, so you could hardly see anyone doing nothing. This is where tourists and locals alike shop, but beneath the noisy atmosphere, there is a lot more activity going on. Dirty work that would later cost certain people a lot…

"This is ridiculous!" A certain redhead covered in a thick cloak whispered to his two companions, both dressed like him, with black mustaches on their faces. They were walking slowly, occasionally stopping by to look at all the goods the market has to offer.

"Yes. You especially look like an idiot," the other man whispered back.

"Hey!" the latter complained. "You look more of a fool than me!"

"Shut up, you stingy bug!"

"Bug! What the camel was that!"

"What? Can't think of better insults?"

"I could ask the same of you, you wrinkled, pompous one!"

"Why you…!"  
"Please, let's not fight. Or are you forgetting the real reason we're here?" It was a

different voice who talked this time, one that was much calmer than the other two.

"How could I forget?" Gojyo said, snorting.

"Yes, yes. We are to wait for Lirin's signal, and then she starts conversing with that merchant over there and distract him enough for us to do the stealing," Sanzo recited as if he had just read those lines from a book.

"In short, if we screw this up, we're history. I mean, Lirin and her bandits will be history."

Hakkai chuckled. "That's right! Now don't be too obvious or else we'll get caught…" He squinted as he caught sight of a red flag being raised a couple of feet from them. No one would make such a bold move but those thieves themselves. "I believe that's our cue. Let's get this thing started then."

He and the others watched as they caught sight of Lirin's small form, together with Yaone's, and the man whom they had met yesterday, walk towards the direction of their assigned merchant, who was a fat man with long beard, and immediately began conversing with him about the durability of his wares.

"Ahh, but I believe the price you are offering is too high. This pendant doesn't even look like real gold, isn't it?"

"Oh, but miss, it is real gold! Imported, this one is! It even came from as far as the land of Arim! You can test it out for yourself, if you want!"

"I'm not too sure..."

"Very well, I'm going to make a last offer. Three hundred gold coins for this one, I'll give you. That's the lowest price you can get."

"My companion thinks it's still too high. How about two hundred coins for that one?"

"Oh, no no no no no, sir! I cannot give it with such a low price! Bad for business, sir!"

By this time, Sanzo and the others had hid near a big jar, quietly filling their bags with all of the merchant's goods, which consisted mostly of gold antiques and imported stuff.

_"Sanzo!"_

Suddenly, the Prince stopped in his tracks. He gritted his teeth and turned to Gojyo, who was busy with his own thing. "What?" he replied, annoyed.

Gojyo looked up at him in puzzlement. "What what?" he asked.

"What do you mean, what what?" Sanzo said irritably.

"Huh?"

"You were calling me a while ago!" he replied through gritted teeth.

"Was not!"

"You liar! I heard you…"

_"Sanzo!"_

"There it was again!" Sanzo said. "Wait…if you're not the one calling me, then who…" He glanced at what remained of the merchant's goods. Positioned on the top shelf was a bottle, dark in color so you couldn't see if it's empty or not.

_"Sanzo!"_

"What, Hakkai?" the Prince said.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Hakkai, who was a good inches away from him, asked politely.

Sanzo looked at him squarely in the eye. "You were calling me, weren't you?"

"Why no," Hakkai replied. "Are you alright, Sanzo?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." But the Prince's brow was furrowed. Was he hearing things? But no…he heard it again.

_"Sanzo!"_

The voice was getting louder and louder and Sanzo was getting more and more annoyed. But what truly bothered him was the fact that the voice seemed to be coming from that bottle. Unless Gojyo was right and he was truly becoming crazy…He slowly picked it up and examined it. "A voice…In the bottle…" he muttered to himself.

Gojyo was still looking at him incredulously. "Has all the heat been affecting that demented brain of yours?" he guessed.

"Shut up! I'm trying to listen…"

_"Sanzo!"_

"Listen carefully, you stupid roach! There! Can't you hear?" Sanzo hissed as he pressed the bottle forcefully to Gojyo's ear.

"Hear what!" Gojyo exclaimed as he pushed Sanzo's hand away. Then he stared at the bottle. "Oh, good, you scored wine! Didn't know that droopy eyes of yours could be of use…"

"Are you picking a fight with me!"

"Look, just stop convincing me about your crazy hallucinations!"

"Hallucinations! I am _not_ hallucinating!"

"Then what do you call the scene you're making?"

"Is it my fault that you're deaf?"

"Guys…" Hakkai warned.

The others pretended they didn't hear him and continued arguing. In fact, their voices seemed to grow louder and louder with each passing minute and Hakkai could do nothing as the situation worsened.

"Guys…"

"Guys!"

But it was too late. The merchant stopped his conversation with Lirin and the others, only to look at them. They had succeeded in getting his attention. His eyes traveled to them and to the open bags they're carrying. Well, you could only guess what happened next.

"You thieves! Come back here!" the merchant shouted, raising his fist in the air as he watched Gojyo, Hakkai and Sanzo run for their lives, along with Lirin and the rest of the gang. "Somebody catch those lowly thieves!"

"Bye bye, you old loony!" Lirin shouted, sticking out her tongue at him.

"Yeah! And thanks for all your gifts!" Gojyo exclaimed.

"At last, this whole annoying thing is over," Sanzo mumbled, sighing, as a certain bottle inside his half open bag glinted dangerously in the sunlight.

Oh, he has no idea, for the worst thing has yet to come. And Sanzo, I bet, would not be ready when it appears…

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_**Next up on Monkey in A Bottle (Chapter 2: The Boy Who Screamed Food):**_

**_Sanzo and the others open the bottle and finds, surprise, surprise, the genie Goku! And, what's this? He doesn't grant wishes the usual way! And Hakkai takes on a new pet who transforms into a magic carpet…Expect to find humor in this chapter…_**

AN: I apologize for my writing style that's a bit rusty, for I haven't written a fanfiction in years, so please, bear with me. Suggestions, comments, and even flames are very much welcome. Please review and let me know what you think of this fic. Thanks:D


	2. The Boy Who Screamed Food!

_**MONKEY IN A BOTTLE**_

_**By: Insomnia's Child**_

AN: Yay! Goku appears in this chappie! (dances like crazy) Oh, and Hakuryuu too! Hehe. Here are the answers to the reviews:

Patto-chan – Haha. Thanks. I just hope you don't think of that narrator in Aladdin when you read this fic! Hehehe! (grins)

End of Grace – Here's Chapter 2…I hope you like it : D

YJ – Hmm…Well, I'm not really sure if I'm going to add some romance here, Goku and Sanzo in particular…But I do hope that doesn't stop you from reading and reviewing this fic…

KotoYuri – Thanks. (grins) I'm glad you like it.

Azamiko – Actually, that song was stuck in my head while I was writing the first chapter. Hahaha. No, scratch that. It's _still _stuck in my head. Lol. (sings Arabian nights)

Hokai Amplifier – Yeah, it's a lot like Aladdin. It also helped that my little sis was watching that movie while I was writing, so I was a bit inspired. And there _is _a royal vizier, only, he's not that important in the story, so I didn't bother writing about him.

_**CHAPTER 2: The Boy Who Screamed Food!**_

To say that the famous three, Genjo Sanzo, Sha Gojyo and Cho Hakkai arrived at the palace looking very tired is a huge understatement. For this alone, nobody, not even a person who have half a brain, did not dare approach or question them in such conditions, for the fear of being instantly transported to Hell itself. Servants and guards alike scampered in fear once they saw the trio approaching the Prince's quarters. They were seen panting, beads of sweat gracing their faces and they looked like they had just run all the way here from who knows where. Oh, if they only knew…

"I can't believe that stupid girl! How dare she put us in that situation!"

Gojyo was looking like a man whose wife had just left him. He was resting on one of the Prince's taut armchairs, his feet resting on top of several pillows piled on top of each other. His face looked drained of all energy, yet one couldn't help but feel endangered at the murderous glint in his eye.

"Oh? But is Lirin really the one to blame?" Hakkai asked, arching one eyebrow. He was, as usual, smiling, his hands busy holding a cloth with which he used in cleaning his monocle. "As far as I can remember, you and Sanzo were the ones fighting loudly over trivial things."

"You're siding with that brat?" Gojyo said disbelievingly. "Are you forgetting that she made us run for miles under the scorching heat of the sun, only to meet up with that arrogant brother of hers, who didn't even say thank you for all the help we gave them? We almost died of exhaustion!"

"What do you mean, 'we'? I, unlike your weak wimpy self, wasn't in any way that affected by the heat," Prince Sanzo informed them, glaring at his right hand man out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh really? Aren't you the same person who was almost left behind due to your slow legs? At least I'm not some lunatic like you, who kept muttering about 'I heard a voice' over and over again," Gojyo snapped, his anger flaring up at Sanzo's arrogance.

"Lunatic? Do you want me to separate your head from your body?" Sanzo's voice was laced with so much venom, the others could feel the tension rising in the air, and one could slice it easily with a knife. It wasn't really Gojyo's calling him a lunatic that really angered him, for he was far too used to those kinds of insults coming from the redhead's mouth; but instead, the fact that Gojyo mentioned about him hearing voices when no one else could. Try as he might, Sanzo couldn't shake off the feeling of dread creeping inside him like a snake. He just knew that something bad would soon happen.

"Why, don't you know, Sanzo? I'm am known in this city as an honest man!" Gojyo said, smirking at having brought out the very reaction he wanted to see on Sanzo's face.

"Shut up!" Sanzo could feel the last of his self-control slipping away, so instead of continuing this fight (Hakkai, who had suddenly gone silent, was now looking at them warningly), he reached for the bottle he had tucked in under his violet sash, the very bottle that had been the cause of his problems. He, instead of giving it to Lirin along with all the loot they had collected, had pocketed it, for reasons only his crazy instincts could tell.

Gojyo, who was half-way on his rant about old, crazy princes who lived to make his everyday living a complete nightmare, turned his attention to the bottle. His eyes widened, and a grin crept its way to his face. "Whoa! Where on earth did you get wine?" he said as he made a grab for the bottle.

Sanzo glared at him as he lifted the bottle out of Gojyo's reach. "Get your hands off of it!" he hissed.

"Wine is bad for old men's health, and since we don't want this kingdom without an heir, give it to me instead," Gojyo told him with a grin.

Hakkai, who had finally recovered from whatever stupor he was in, decided this was the best time to step in. Raising his hands in a calming gesture, he politely reprimanded the bickering two, "Please, you two, stop it. You are both acting very childish."

Gojyo snorted. "Childish? Why, almighty Sanzo, you should thank Hakkai. He just gave you a compliment!" he went on, sniggering. "Honestly! Who would call an aged fellow like you childish?"

Sanzo gritted his teeth. If Gojyo had been wise, he might have wisely refrained from saying more insults to aggravate him, for the Prince was often compared to a tiger. If you do something to provoke it, you will find yourself face to face with death itself. And this was the condition that Gojyo was currently in. No words were needed to be said to express Sanzo's immense anger for his right hand man.

"You've gone all silent, Your Highness. Is this lowly servant somehow affecting you?" Gojyo egged on as he continued to wrestle the bottle out of Sanzo's mighty grip.

"Just shut up, you stupid cockroach!" Prince Sanzo exclaimed.

Gojyo, having been mad at being called such a disgusting creature, tugged harder at the bottle. Sanzo did the same, and soon, they were playing a dangerous game of tug of war, despite Hakkai's constant pleas in the background.

But unfortunately, this was a tug of war where no one wins and it was a lose-lose situation. Somehow, Gojyo had finally got a hold of the bottle, but Sanzo, whose pride was on the line, whacked Gojyo's hands, which resulted in him dropping the bottle on the floor before the Prince even had the time to catch it. What resulted was a loud crash, followed by several curses; the credit goes to Sanzo, of course.

But their problems didn't end there. For after accidentally smashing the bottle, what happened next was the appearance of a thick mist that covered the entire room, so much that they couldn't see each other any longer. Then, as if someone lit fireworks or set a bomb on fire, _something _just came bouncing in. No human or animal alike could have seen it, for it was moving with such intensity and speed than anything else in this world, even a cheetah was no match for it. It came wheezing past the window and past Sanzo's full length mirror; it was a miracle the glass didn't crack. The three room occupants, who had never seen anything quite like this before, watched with a combination of awe and fascination.

"Is that a ball?" Gojyo asked, squinting his eyes to see.

"Ah, well, does a ball reach the ceiling without anyone moving it?" Hakkai told Gojyo.

"No."

Hakkai smiled. "Then does that answer your question, Gojyo?"

Gojyo just shrugged.

They continued to look at it, following its every movement. But as I had said, it was so fast that the only thing that happened was the sudden arrival of a certain painful thing, or more commonly known as the headache. Finally, after several grueling seconds, or what felt like hours, whatever it was stopped and landed right in front of Sanzo.

"Ahhhh! Wonderful! Wonderful! Everything is just soooooooooooooo wonderful!

I've never been so alive in my whole life! After five hundred years of waiting, I've finally been freed! Ohhhhh….And I'm just sooooooooo huuuuuuuuuuuuuuungry!"

This creature proved to be a brown haired boy with wide, captivating golden eyes. He was dressed in an elegant vest made of the finest materials, with matching trousers and gold, pointed slippers. And there was this overwhelming air of innocence that surrounded him, and one couldn't help but feel relaxed by this. Now, as cliché as this may sound, the moment this wonderful creature appeared out of thin air, it seemed as if time itself froze. And what stared at Sanzo, Gojyo and Hakkai in the eye was in fact the one powerful, all-knowing thing – Destiny.

Gojyo rubbed his eyes with his hands several times. He was afraid he might faint, so it took quite a while before he finally found his voice. He stared at the boy in front of him. "Who-who the heck are you? And how did you get here?" he exclaimed.

The boy gave him a heart-warming grin that reached his ears. "I am none other than the great Son Goku, the most powerful of all powerful genies," he declared proudly. His eyes met theirs. "Now who among you is my master?"

Hakkai, who was still coping with recovering with the shock of seeing something that defied all the knowledge, facts and logic that he had acquired over the years, made a short bow at the so-called Son Goku. "Pardon me for my inquisitiveness, but did you just say you're a _genie?" _he said. Gojyo really admired Hakkai for all he was worth, because despite the fact that he was still shell-shocked, he still managed to speak as courteously as a well-raised gentleman.

Son Goku looked at Hakkai as if mentally debating whether he had taken offense on him or not. "Yes, _of course_ I'm a genie! What else could I be? Didn't you hear me?" he told him. "Who are you?"

"Ah, I'm terribly sorry. I almost forgot my manners. My name is Cho Hakkai. The scowling blonde is Prince Sanzo, and the other man is Sha Gojyo," Hakkai introduced.

Sanzo, on the other hand, was looking at Goku through violet eyes with something that I couldn't quite explain. It could be anything, really – curiosity, disgust, anger, irritation, absolutely anything. It was hard to tell, especially with such a guarded person like our favorite Prince. "So you've been the one calling me all along?"

The genie's eyebrows met in confusion. "I haven't been calling anyone," he denied.

"You lie. I've been hearing your stupid voice all day. It's so annoying."

Gojyo nudged Sanzo in the ribs in order to have a closer look at Goku, to which Sanzo responded with a glare. He stared at Goku up and down before finally saying, "So let me get this straight. Unless Sanzo's lunacy is actually contagious or I might be having eye problems and need glasses like Hakkai, I _did _see you appear like a bubble, almost causing all of us a heart attack, and then declared yourself as a genie, a real genie who could actually grant wishes?"

"Yes, that's right. Don't I look like a genie?" Goku said as he surveyed the people before him. "So who exactly is my master? And does anyone of you have food? I'm really hungry. Maybe you have some meat? Meat's my favorite, you know. I especially love beef and-"

"Master?" Gojyo interrupted. "Why, I'm your master!"

Hakkai chuckled. "Well, technically speaking, that would be Sanzo. He was the one who found the bottle in the first place and brought it here."

Gojyo shot Hakkai an annoyed look that clearly stated "Shut your mouth and let me handle this."

Prince Sanzo scowled, not enjoying the prospect of having an annoying creature like Goku under his care. "I am _not, _and will never be, his master. Give him to the water monster, instead. I don't care," he said icily, in a voice that left no room for argument.

The golden eyed genie shook his head. "If what the mister-" he gestured towards Hakkai, "-said was true, then you are my master, whether you or I like or not. You can't refuse it, because to do so would be to go against the rules."

The Prince clenched his fists and resisted the urge to smack the genie into oblivion. The last thing he needed, in additional to the pressure of being an heir to the throne, placed on him by the elders and other people, and the constant nagging of the Queen to find a bride for him; was a stupid brainless genie named Son Goku to ruin his already damaged life. "And what exactly would happen to me if I refuse?" he said indifferently.

Goku widened his eyes for emphasis. "It would be the worst thing and no man could ever survive after dealing with it!" he exclaimed.

The Prince's eyes narrowed. "What could possibly worse than keeping you?" he snarled.

Gojyo laughed as he placed a hand on Sanzo's shoulder. "What a foolish person you are, my beloved prince! No one would ever want to throw away someone as worthy as him! I mean, he's a walking gold mine, for goodness' sake! He can grant you anything! And mark my words, he will be our ticket to success!" He pointed his finger at Goku, who was looking innocently at them.

A red mark appeared on Sanzo's forehead and he clobbered Gojyo's hand away. "Don't ever touch me!" he yelled. "And don't tell me what to do!"

Gojyo pretended he didn't hear anything. His brain was too busy thinking of all the wishes that he could get, ignoring the fact that Sanzo was the only one authorized to make a wish, since he was the new genie's master, after all. "So…Is there any limitations, boundaries and rules about wishing? I mean, you're not that kind of genie who only grants three wishes, are you?" he said, red eyes still fixed on Goku.

The brunette thought for a while. "Well, let's see. I grant as many wishes as my master asks of me. But that doesn't include killing people _or_ getting rid of me," he said.

"That's too bad," Sanzo muttered. "I would've loved to get rid of a certain annoying redhead standing next to me."

"Oy!"

"Well in that case, Sanzo, why don't you make your first wish?" Hakkai said, in an attempt to stop the two from fighting again.

"Tch. I don't need wishes," Sanzo told him, ignoring the sudden crestfallen look on Goku's face.

"Now that may pose as a big problem…"

"Why can't _we _make a wish instead?" Gojyo suggested, still determined to get his fair share of women and wine.

"I don't think-" Hakkai began, but Goku instantly cut him off, some of his enthusiasm returning to him.

"Yes! That's a very great idea! Come on, make a wish! Make a wish! Make a wish!" Goku chanted, jumping up and down on Sanzo's bed. However, there was a desperate, longing look in his eyes that Sanzo didn't like.

"I thought you said only masters can make the wishes," Sanzo said coldly, and Goku stopped jumping. He stared back at the blonde, his face showing hints of nervousness and uneasiness, which gave Sanzo all the more reason that there was something else behind his sudden eagerness.

"Well, yes, that's true..." Goku said slowly, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "But I can…er, make exceptions! Right, um, exceptions! So any of you three can ask for absolutely anything."

"Don't be such a greedy man, Sanzo. We're like brothers. We share. Now," Gojyo avoided looking at Sanzo, afraid to see the dangerous look in his eyes. "I wish for lots and lots of wine!"

"Okay," Goku said, as he nodded his head excitedly. But instead of some kind of hocus pocus or signs of magic that usually accompanied genies who grant wishes, Gojyo was faced with a different sight. Goku was looking expectantly at him, his hands outstretched, as if begging him.

"Well?"

Gojyo glared at him. "What do you mean, well? I'm the one supposed to say that! Where's my wine?" he demanded.

"Where's my food?" Goku asked in return. "Come on, I'm really hungry."

"What are you talking about? In case you're suffering amnesia or something, you are a genie. You are supposed to ask people 'What do you want?' and with a poof, grant it!" Gojyo told him, as if he was a teacher explaining things to a toddler.

Goku looked impatiently at him. "Yes, I know that! But before I do that, you're supposed to give me food in return," he informed him.

Gojyo's eyes went as wide as saucers. His mouth formed a big O, so much that flies could go in his mouth several times without being swatted away. He was beyond shaken. "_EH?"_

Hakkai did the talking for Gojyo. "I'm afraid you never mentioned that."

The genie scratched his head. "Oh, didn't I?" The gesture and his words suddenly reminded Hakkai of Lirin. And now that he thought about it, he has the same kind of energy that the red haired girl has. They could easily be mistaken for siblings.

"What kind of genie asks food before granting wishes?" Sanzo said incredulously, raising one thin blonde eyebrow. _So that's why the brat was so eager to grant people's wishes. _This was turning out to be the weirdest day in his whole life, and that included the time when he met Gojyo and Hakkai. Goku should be by any means flattered.

"That's- that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Gojyo sputtered. Never before in his twenty two years of existence have he heard anything like this and frankly, he wasn't too prepared for this.

Hakkai just laughed, whether out of amusement or apprehension, no one could know. "I admit that was quite a surprise."

"But what if we actually _wished _for food!" Gojyo exclaimed.

"Food…Just thinking about it makes me so hungry," Goku groaned. "Hurry, up, mister, give me food…"

"I haven't got any food!" Gojyo told him, still irritated at today's newest revelation.

The expression on Goku's face was enough to make even the coldest heart on earth melt. Too bad that Sanzo was an exception to this. "But-but-"

"Ah, how fortunate I must be then," Hakkai began as he fished a banana out of his pocket. The others could only wonder why he kept such things hidden underneath his clothes. "Here." He handed the fruit to the boy, who accepted it so keenly that he could've been mistaken for a boy who had never seen food in his entire life. Well, in Goku's case, that was partly true. Five hundred years without food could certainly make someone hungry enough that every mention of the word 'food' made him drool.

"Yay! Yay! Yay!" Goku cried out, happiness evident in his youthful face. Without a second to spare, he swallowed the banana in one gulp. "Now what's your wish, mister?" he asked Hakkai.

Hakkai smiled. "Now…I can't actually think of anything…" he muttered as he placed a finger on chin and thought for a long time that even Sanzo and Gojyo told him to hurry up. "Well…I've always wanted a pet…"

"If you want a monkey, you can pick him," Gojyo told Hakkai, his index finger pointed at Goku, who, with my immense relief, had not heard him. Just imagining the chaos that might ensue if he did gave everyone the shivers.

"What kind of pet?" Goku asked.

"Hmmm…." Hakkai laughed. "This is actually very embarrassing, but, well, I've always wanted a small pet dragon…"

"A dragon, Hakkai?" Sanzo looked at Hakkai in disbelief. He knew the royal advisor was one weird guy, but he didn't know that his exotic tastes ventured this far.

"Pet dragon coming right up!" Goku said, his fingers at work. After several seconds, there was a loud "Puff!" and a small, white dragon with ruby red eyes came flying towards Hakkai's direction.

"Kyuu!" it said.

Hakkai slowly reached out to pet it. "Now, what shall I call him?" he asked, more to himself that to the others.

"How about Hakkai the Second?" Gojyo suggested, snickering at his own lame joke while Sanzo only rolled his eyes.

"I know! Whitey! Because he's color white!" Goku exclaimed.

Hakkai and the others sweatdropped.

"I think I'd rather like the name Hakuryuu," Hakkai finally said. The dragon gave another "Kyuu!" in agreement. "And I think he likes it, too."

"Wait till you see what it can do!" Goku said, beaming at Hakkai. "It's amazing!"

Hakkai looked at the dragon on his shoulder. "What can you do, Hakuryuu?" he asked. "Can you show it to us?"

"Kyuu!" the dragon screeched and flapped its wings. For the third time that day, smoke filled the air. When it died down, what was left of the dragon was a….

"Magic carpet?" Gojyo said incredulously, not quite believing his eyes. Genies, magic…He had been through so much, he was afraid if he would drop dead if another miracle happened. Even Sanzo was looking at the carpet-slash-dragon with dubious eyes. "That _thing _can turn into a _carpet _that flies_?" _

"Yup, that's Hakuryuu," Goku said, proud of his work.

"That was very…amazing," Hakkai muttered. In all his study about dragons, he never knew they could turn into such useful things. "Can you turn back into a dragon?"

"Hey, wait! I want to ride him first!" Goku exclaimed but it was too late, the carpet vanished and in its place was the dragon Hakuryuu. It took a while before the fact sank in and everyone returned back to normal.

"Now that that's all settled and everything's fine and dandy, let me make my wish," Gojyo said.

"But you said you don't have any food," Goku told him.

"Who cares? Would you reconsider if I threatened to beat you up?"

"No way!"

"Then you don't mind if I do this?" Gojyo smacked the genie in the head, who in turn retaliated by pulling his hair. Gojyo had to admit, for a starved child trapped in a bottle for five hundred years, he sure was strong. He was pretty sure that after training him for a month or so, he would surpass Sanzo and him in strength.

"Stop it now!" Sanzo shouted as he threw two pillows that instantly hit Gojyo and Goku right in the face. He couldn't stand any more of this. Sure, he had stopped hearing Goku's voice in his head for a while now, but seeing him fighting with Gojyo was enough to make anyone's nerves crack. "Why don't you just give him food from the kitchen and be done with it?" he told Gojyo through gritted teeth.

Gojyo's face lit up. "Why, you actually used your brain and made a very nice suggestion, Prince Sanzo! That's a complete miracle! Hakkai, did you wish for this to happen?"

"Shut up!"

"Kitchen? You have a kitchen? Where? Where? Where?" Goku craned his neck and surveyed the room once again.

"Why don't you show him where, Sanzo?" Gojyo said, smiling widely.

Sanzo glared daggers at him. "I am not moving from my spot," he snapped.

Gojyo shrugged. "Oh, well, that's too bad. You know what they say, an old man will always act like an old man," he said. The icy look coming from Sanzo may have at last worked, for Gojyo immediately grabbed Goku by the hand and exited the Prince's quarters in a second, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

"Hahaha. Who knew Gojyo could run so fast?" Hakkai said.

"Sometimes all it needs," Sanzo told him, "is a good scare."

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This is the palace kitchens, where every cook and maid is involved in the lengthy process of making food to please the palette of the royal family and its guests. In every corner of the room, something is chopped, cut, minced, boiled and roasted. The aroma of what promised to be good food permeated the air and it was enough to make anyone drool. The people in the kitchens are so absorbed in their daily activities and chores that they failed to see trouble even when it came face to face with them. This, I'm sure, would make the cooks regret ever leaving the door wide open for a certain Son Goku and a pissed off Sha Gojyo.

"Wow!" Goku said, his eyes bulging and his jaw hitting the marble floor as he took in all the sights resting innocently on the long kitchen table, from the apple pie down to the roasted chicken. "This is very awesome! There's so much food!"

"Remember my wishes," Gojyo reminded him, but Goku had long ago given up listening to him. He was too busy staring open-mouthed at the food. So instead, Gojyo busied himself by finding a pretty girl to flirt with. His eyes landed on a black haired beauty standing by the sink. Gojyo wasted no time in walking towards her. He particularly liked the way the apron fitted the girl's body.

"Hey, there, beautiful," he whispered on her ear.

The girl, startled, accidentally dropped the plate she was holding.

"Now, there's no need to be frightened," Gojyo said, smiling as he saw the girl's cheeks pink with what he hoped wasn't embarrassment. He was about to use one of the many effective pick-up lines that he had learned, when a voice interrupted him.

"You!"

One of the cooks, a fat, mean looking man with a mustache who knew Gojyo and his trouble-making ways, glared at him. "What are you doing here? Don't go disturbing the palace maids! You-" he referred to the girl, "Go back to work!" The maid, flushing prettily, complied and she turned away from the two in an instant.

"How dare you do that!" Gojyo exclaimed, angry at having been interrupted from another one of his sessions.

"I said, what brings you here? And who is this…this animal?" he sneered as he looked at Goku with a frightening amount of disgust.

"He's under Prince Sanzo's care, and he had strict orders to feed him. But if you want to throw him out, go ahead," Gojyo said carelessly, emphasizing Sanzo's name. That did the trick. The cook no longer looked at them with disdain; instead, he seemed to be having regretted saying those words. Sometimes, a person like him couldn't help but forget that he was talking to the Prince's trusted man.

"Forgive me for my rudeness, sir," the cook apologized. He wasn't a fool to risk his job on the line. "I shall immediately cater to the, er, boy's needs."

But what he, or anyone, knows is that Goku's needs were beyond average people's needs. When others would have instantly called eating five to six plates of rice a heavy meal, Goku only considered this as nothing but snack. Gojyo and the rest of the occupants of the kitchen could only stare wide-eyed as Goku ate his sixteenth helpings. They couldn't seem to fathom how someone as small as him could eat so many and with an amazing speed to match. And all this time, he kept muttering that he was still hungry he could eat a whole cow. And no one for even one split second believed that he couldn't.

"Oy, are you a superhero or something?" Gojyo asked him as he watched the genie gulp down some water before continuing his half-finished beef. "I can't believe how you can stand to eat that pathetic excuse for a chicken. I mean, that sour looking cook made that. It's bound to be poisonous."

In a flash, Goku stopped eating and he was looking at Gojyo as if he murdered his pet. He looked like he was close to tears. "You…you…" he said disbelievingly.

Gojyo raised his eyebrows. "I what?" he asked, freaked out at the boy's sudden odd behavior.

"You just insulted a chicken! I- I won't forgive you, you perverted scorpion!" Goku bellowed.

"_What?"_

"That's my food! You had no right to insult it!"

"I _can't _believe you! You're such a monkey! And…and, did you just call me a _scorpion?"_

"Well, it's true! You look like a scorpion. Look at those two strands of hair standing on top of your head. They look like a scorpion's pincers!"

"Why you…!"

Gojyo was so angry, no other insult coming from Sanzo could've made him explode like this one. He didn't even stop to think about what he was doing next. All he knew was that somehow, his hands, whom he suspected had a mind of its own, suddenly grabbed the nearby pudding and smashed it right on Goku's face.

"Ahhhh! I've gone blind! I can't see!" Goku shouted. Acting on instinct, he dumped the contents of the glass he was holding on Gojyo's head, soaking him from head to foot. Goku had just a few seconds to duck a sailing egg, which landed on one of the cooks' head, the very cook whom Gojyo was complaining about.

All manners were forgotten as the cook threw a tomato at Gojyo, but it instead hit another maid in the shoulder. And this, people, was the start of the very first big Tougenkyo War, or in short, the food fight. All kinds of food, together with pans, pots and other utensils were thrown at one another. Others did it for fun, some, like Gojyo and Goku, out of anger. This went on and on for quite a long time, so none were prepared for the heavy consequences that followed.

"STOP IT!"  
Every head turned to the kitchen doors, only to be greeted by a sight of a very, very mad Prince Sanzo, escorted by Hakkai and his new pet Hakuryuu. All movement stopped and an awkward silence hung in the air.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the Prince yelled angrily.

The cook was the first to speak. "Y-your Highness!" he stammered. "We are deeply-"

"Shut up!" Sanzo turned his attention towards a tomato coated Goku, whose hands were still clutching a large piece of apple, and to Gojyo, who looked even worse. His hair was dripping wet with juice, and there were several stains on his shirt. Part of his face was covered in mush and he looked every bit like a walking garbage can. "I leave you alone for a few minutes and look what you've done!"

Goku winced at Sanzo's loud voice. He wondered if shouting caused his stomach pain. "I'm sorry, Master San-" he began.

"_Don't _call me Master," Sanzo snarled, his anger increasing. "I have enough idiots calling me that."

"You look particularly good covered in food," Hakkai told a scowling Gojyo as he handed him a cloth.

"Stop making fun of me," Gojyo replied as he accepted the cloth that Hakkai gave him and used it to wipe his dirty face.

"All of you," Sanzo ordered to the trembling servants and cooks watching them, "clean this mess. One more incident like this and I will report you to the Queen."

"Y-yes, Your Highness," they chorused as they began scurrying and beginning the tedious task of cleaning the food-covered room. It would take them the whole day to finish that, and some trembled at the thought of this.

Just then, a messenger in a yellow turban came in. He was a small, nervous-looking man who cowered once Sanzo laid his purple eyes on him.

"What do you want?" Sanzo asked, still in no particular good mood to deal with everyone.

"The…the Queen, Your Highness, requests your company in the throne room. There are guests waiting for you," the messenger said in a small voice. After seeing Sanzo's nod of assent, he quickly exited as fast as his legs could carry him.

The Prince curled his lip in anger. He was in no mood to deal with whatever torture his aunt was planning for him. He'd be damned if the Queen Kanzeon wanted him to meet another one of those stupid, brainless girls for a bride. He'd already suffered enough, what with dealing with the sudden appearance of the loud, annoying monkey, Son Goku, and the mess he and Gojyo had created. How shocked he would be if he were to know that this won't be the last trouble the energetic genie would create…

"Is our presence needed too?" Hakkai asked him.

"You're not thinking of leaving me alone with that old woman, are you?" Sanzo said threateningly.

"Just checking."

"Hey, Sanzo! I'm coming too, right?" Goku piped in, pleading golden eyes set on the Prince.

"No," Sanzo said curtly.

"But I want to!"

"I said no. And that's it."

"What's it?"

Sanzo could feel another headache coming. And for a moment, he found himself wishing he had his old, genie-free life back. Too bad that this was one wish made by the Tougenkyo Prince that would never come true.

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_**Up next on Monkey in A Bottle (title not yet decided):**_

**_Sanzo and the gang meets the snake charmer, Nii. Gojyo also makes his wish. (Three guesses as to what it is!) And there seems to be evil lurking about…Hmm...And why is their attention on the Sanzo-ikkou? Find out…_**

AN: Hmm…That was a long chapter…At least I think so…Unfortunately for me, school's about to start soon and even though I am known for doing homework during recess and lunch time, I may still have trouble updating real soon, but please try to be patient and I will in turn, try to type the next chapter as fast as my lazy fingers could help it. And don't forget to review, ne? Reviews can especially do miracles to lazy authors.


	3. Snake Charmers and Royalty dont Mix

_**MONKEY IN A BOTTLE**_

_**By: Insomnia's Child**_

AN: Because I love my readers so much, I decided to update sooner (I know this isn't fast according to your standards, but hey, if I'm loaded with schoolwork, you have to realize that this is the fastest update I could manage) Answers to the reviews are here:

Patto-chan – Yeah, we all pity Goku for being deprived of food! (cries) Anyhow, don't remind me about school. It only makes me long for Christmas vacation! And that's like, months away…:P

Nikikeya-chan – Thanks. I love Goku too! (waves Goku banner)

Doublelynn – Oh, about those camel swear words, well, that's just the result of me being weird. Lol. I thought that if there's a "Holy cow" swear word, then there's also "Holy camel". I think you're the only one, asides from me, who find them funny. Oh, well, I have a weird sense of humor... (grins)

Vivid Mirage – Thanks a bunch for that awesome review. (blushes) I'm glad you like my idea of Hakuryu turned carpet. And yeah, I can't imagine our favorite Sanzo-ikkou being honest and obedient forever. Where's the fun in that:D

KotoYuri – Thanks a lot:D

Azamiko – I'm sorry for misleading you into thinking that this is a Sanzo/Goku fic…(The genre is Action/Adventure) I really didn't mean it…And thanks for the review… :D

End of Grace – Thanks. I'm glad you like it. I'll try my best do develop their friendship further. Also, thanks for understanding my problems about school…:D

Wolflover – Thanks! Really? Well, I envy you! I'd do anything to skip school! Hehe…

_**Chapter 3: **_

"Ah, Konzen…How nice of you to drop by."

This is the throne room, the most important and most respected place, aside from the worship room, in the palace of Tougenkyo. It is remarkable for its grand walls of astonishing gold and silver, with solid gleaming floor that one would have been afraid to step on for the fear of dirtying it, and of course, the huge painting of the Sultan and his wife which was made by the legendary Ali Ahmed himself. But more than the obvious display for wealth, it also doubled as the place where visiting royalties mingled with each other, where villagers and townsfolk bury their problems and ask guidance and great counsel from the Sultan and the Queen, then afterwards; giving them offering for what little time Their Highnesses could offer them.

But of course, when the Young Prince, or more commonly known as His Highness, was there, it was an entirely different matter, and what peaceful atmosphere an individual could have savored in the throne room instantly dissipated the moment they felt the dangerous aura coming from the blonde Prince. It wasn't like they could take the blame on him, even though they wanted to, since more often than not his mood swings was the cause of the meddling of affairs that could only be made by the Queen. And well, who would dare be mad at Her Majesty?

"Do I even want to know why my presence is wanted here?"

There was an extremely dangerous look coming from Sanzo that he only reserved for his aunt alone, and when he spoke to her, the guards standing by the throne room felt a shiver running down their spine and it took all of years of hard training to maintain their stoic composures. They envied Queen Kanzeon and whatever qualities she possessed that enabled her to survive through this encounter. But then again, she might have been used to it by now, assuming that Sanzo had been acting this way towards her all her life.

"Do I need a reason to spend some quality time with my favorite nephew?"

This is, of course, the one and only Queen Kanzeon. A woman who seemed to be born with such grace and came from a very wealthy royal family, you would be surprised at how different she is from other royalty. In many ways, she was liberated (that probably explained her rather showy state of dressing) and never hesitant to speak about her true feelings, most unlike other Sultans' wives who let their husbands' power and authority overwhelm them. The way she treated Sultan Jiroushin like her personal secretary, it clearly displayed her dominant spirit. Although she may not have done much for contributing to the Kingdom's good and welfare, she was widely famous for her creepy smile, weird outlook on others and of course, the culprit for Sanzo's shouting matches.

Sanzo could have given away all his wealthy possessions just so he could bring his fist up to his aunt's smiling face. Not only had she called him Konzen again (His father was the only one who got away from calling him his old name), but the way she acted around him made him feel like he was just another toy whom she could call upon when she needed him and the last thing this Prince ever wanted was to feel like one.

As he stood there staring, or more likely, glaring at her, he was very well aware of her mocking voice and the scent of lotus flowers that was always associated with the her, which didn't help relax his mind. "Yes, because I have no intention of talking to you if it isn't of utmost importance," was his curt reply.

"Of course. I see you still have your stubborn nature, Konzen. But don't worry about that, I'm sure that's the exact attitude girls are craving nowadays," Queen Kanzeon told him, a smile painting on her red lips. The message she wanted to say was very well expressed through this action. It clearly said: _Find a bride._

The room would have been forever bathed in tension, due to the expressions on both royals' faces; Sanzo with an expression of immense hatred, and Kanzeon with an amused smile, had it not been for Goku. He, alongside with an unusually decent-mannered Gojyo and a proper Hakkai, had managed to show their respects to the Queen without throwing a fit (We're talking about Gojyo and Goku here, since Hakkai did not fall into the Noisy category), had it not been for, ahhhh, yes, Goku the genie himself.

Clearly not getting the private, er, moment the two relatives were basking in, and having been bored to death after the grand room no longer seemed to capture his attention, he stepped between the two and tugged at the hem of Sanzo's pants. "Hey, Sanzo," he whined as he innocently gazed at those narrowed violent eyes. "Are we finished here yet? I'm getting bored. And I'm really hungry."

Driven with anger about the monkey disrupting his glaring session, he turned to him and whacked him with the edge of his sheathed sword, which promptly managed to make the brunette land on his rear on the hard floor, perhaps in surprise, for he never expected Sanzo to do such a thing, since he was his master. "What the hell do you think you're doing? And don't talk about being hungry! You just narrowly avoided eating all of the contents of the palace pantries, and that was just a MINUTE ago!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, not knowing whether to feel angry or incredulous at the genie's obvious obsession with food.

Goku pouted as he rubbed a sore spot on his head. "Ouch! That really hurt!" he exclaimed. "You're so mean!"

And it was in this time when the Queen finally noticed the recent addition to Sanzo's group. She had been more than surprised, of course, for she knew her nephew was never a man who randomly picked some boy on the streets for no reason at all. But she found the situation very amusing. Here was a new subject that totally contradicted the Prince to take away her boredom, and she mentally took note not to bother Sanzo that much from now on as a reward for pleasing her in the most unusual manner. "And who may this little pet of yours be?" she asked.

The Prince rewarded her with a glare. "That's none of your damned business," he said coldly. Out of the corner of his eye, he looked at Goku, who was about to open his mouth but wisely shut it. And in a moment, he began to remember the conversation he had with him before entering the throne room…

_"Alright. I will fucking bring you with us, now cease your yapping," Sanzo said in an attempt to stop a very annoying Goku from harassing him. He figured that if he didn't bring the monkey, he would most likely find another place, or person, to bug, and being one who witnessed the result of a genie's anger for a particular redhead, he was sure the boy would only cause trouble again. Better to make him stick around where he could keep a watchful eye on him. _

_"Yay! Did you hear that, Hakkai? Sanzo said I'm going with you guys! Yay! I get to meet people!" Goku exclaimed, doing his own version of a celebratory jump. His face shone with excitement, and once again, Sanzo found himself wondering why the hell going to see his stupid aunt would make someone so happy._

_"Yes, yes. I'm sure she'll like you very much," Hakkai replied, smiling at the boy's obvious enthusiasm._

_"But let's get some things straight," Sanzo said as he turned to Goku and gave him a scary look. "You are not, and I mean never, to tell ANYONE that you are a genie. Unless you want to find your body thrown into the ocean." The thought of the Queen knowing about this caused him to go into another violent mood. She'd have a field day, he was sure of it._

_"But what's the point of being a genie if I can't tell anyone about it?" Goku asked as he pondered over what Sanzo said._

_"The monkey has a point," Gojyo said as he jerked his thumb on Goku's direction. He really enjoyed torturing his superior very much, he didn't even care if Goku stomped his foot for calling him a monkey._

_"Shut up!" _

_"Did the almighty Sanzo just asked me to shut up, Hakkai?" Gojyo said nonchalantly. _

_Sanzo chose to ignore him, just this once. "Are we clear on what I told you?" he told Goku._

_"Okay, Master, I mean, Sanzo. But will you promise to give me chicken and spring rolls and beef and-"_

_"Will you stop talking about food?" _

_"But I'm just so-"_

_"Say the word and I will kill you," Sanzo warned angrily._

_"What word?" Goku asked. "You mean, 'I'm hungry'?"_

_He found the answer when Sanzo slammed his fist on his head and he collapsed on the floor, where the only thing he could see were stars forming a halo around his head._

"My, my, Konzen. I thought you hated animals," Queen Kanzeon said as her gaze lingered on Goku, who had stopped debating on whether or not he should say he's a genie. Somehow having a bruise on his head was enough for one day. He didn't need another one to add to his collection.

"I'm not an animal, you poophead!" Goku shouted at her. Why was it that everyone in this place never called him by his real name? "My name is Goku! Go-ku!"

The guards made a move towards Goku for insulting the Queen herself, but Kanzeon waved her hand and said it was fine. Yes, she thought, this guy is the perfect person to complete Sanzo's group.

Gojyo laughed loudly at this. The boy had such a fiery spirit, and despite his attempts to cover his entire body in food, he found himself forgiving him for that. Beside him, he could tell that Hakkai's head was bent so low and he suddenly found the floor very fascinating, which he knew was only an attempt to hide the laughter that was bubbling inside of him. "Oh, my, Sanzo! Only an hour of having him with you and already you had corrupted his mind with such foul words!" he exclaimed.

Sanzo unsheathed his sword and wasted no time in throwing it at Gojyo, who only managed to duck in time.

"Oy! What the heck was that for? You could've cut my wonderful hair to pieces! Do you want a mob of Gojyo fan girls to chase after you?" Gojyo yelled, fury evident in his red eyes.

Sanzo picked up his sword. "Annoy me again and I will not hesitate to bring that sword to your neck next time," he said frostily as he stared daggers at him. Honestly, calling him responsible for the genie's behavior? The redhead was one to talk.

This time, they were interrupted by the Queen's laughter ringing around the room. They all turned to her as if she was crazy. "You're all very entertaining," she said in between laughing. "Especially this adorable guy Goku."

"Shut up. You're changing the topic. Why the camel are we here?" Sanzo was the one who spoke, and because it was him who did so, the Queen was forced to answer.

"I want you to meet someone," Kanzeon replied, smiling. She called for the guards. "Announce him."

The wide doors opened and in came a bespectacled stranger. He was dressed in white robes that almost reached his ankles. A turban was also placed on his head. But what really caught everyone's attention, aside from the man's creepy smile that could rival the Queen's, was something with big yellow eyes slithering up on his arm, where it rested at his shoulder. It was a snake, and a very dangerous looking one that would probably bite someone's hand if provoked. The others backed away from him as he passed by them to kneel to the Queen.

"You may rise, Nii Jen Yi," Queen Kanzeon ordered, a smile gracing her face.

The man did so. "It is an honor to be requested for your company, Your Majesty," he spoke.

Goku stared at the man with golden eyes. There was just something about this man that made him very uncomfortable and wary. Yes, the snake looked very scary, and he wasn't very keen on being near reptiles, but he was sure that wasn't the reason for his sudden behavior. And glancing at a scowling Sanzo, a very serious Gojyo, and the glimmer on Hakkai's eye, he could see that they, too, were also disturbed by something.

"Nii, I would like you to meet my nephew, Prince Sanzo, and his companions," Queen Kanzeon introduced. She saw Sanzo give a brief nod of his head, the closest thing they could get for an "I'm glad to meet you". But even if the Prince had managed to control his emotions, one look at his eyes could tell that he instantly took a dislike to the stranger. "He is a snake charmer from the West who happened to pass by here during one of his travels."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Hakkai said civilly, but no smile was present on his face. And I'm sure you know what this means.

But Nii wasn't paying attention to him. Instead, his eyes were all on Sanzo. "Ah, yes, Prince Sanzo. It's feels great to finally meet you in the flesh. There are lots of things I hear about you," he said in that eerie voice of his.

"Bad things, I presume," Sanzo said brusquely as he avoided looking into those deep black eyes of his that seemed to search into his soul.

The snake on the stranger's shoulder hissed loudly, as it seemed to regard Sanzo with something akin to distaste. It seemed that wherever he went, humans and animals alike would always dislike him. Nii stroke its head affectionately and muttering soothing words to it, which made the snake calm down. "Gossip is a very fine weapon, Prince Sanzo, and one should never attempt to overlook it," he said.

Sanzo narrowed his eyes. He didn't like the way this guy was talking. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he growled.

The snake charmer smiled mysteriously at him, giving the Prince the more reason to suspect that he knew something that he did not know. And it annoyed him. "Oh, you know perfectly well what that means, dear Prince," he replied. He looked at Hakkai. "Aren't you Cho Hakkai, the famous royal advisor?"

"Yes. That is me," Hakkai said.

"I do hope you have already gotten over the loss of your lover, Kanan. I heard she committed suicide. Oh, what a tragic ending to such a great love story," the snake charmer said as he looked knowingly at Hakkai and watched him clenched his fists.

Hakkai, on the other hand, didn't know what to say. He was very shocked to hear someone like him talk about his dead lover in such a manner that one used when discussing the weather. Not many people know about how Kanan died, and it surprised him that a person who came as far as the West Kingdom knew something about it.

But before he could reply, Nii had already moved towards Gojyo. "Red hair…" he muttered as his eyes flickered towards him. "I know you. Sha Gojyo, I presume?"

Gojyo did not reply, hoping to shrug off Nii, but it only seemed to interest him more. "Oh, so the rumors were true. You don't look like your mother at all. That's a pity."

This time Gojyo did turn to look at him with an expression of disbelief and anger present on his face. "You knew my mother?" he snarled.

"Why, of course, I did. Quite a pretty lady too. But I heard life wasn't good for her, especially when she bore y…Oh, forgive me for my rudeness. I almost forgot that she's already dead so I shouldn't be talking about such things in front of her son, no less." But everyone knew the fact, even Goku, for they could see on the snake charmer's face that he looked far from sorry.

"Why you…!" Gojyo exclaimed.

"And what do we have here?" Nii Jen Yi looked at Goku. "I believe this is one person that I have never heard of."

Goku suppressed the urge to shudder as he found the man's gaze fixed on him. The hair on his back stood up and he wanted so much to hide inside one of those large antique jars lying around. He felt Gojyo tense beside him.

"Such strange eyes…" Nii Jen Yi murmured as he stroked his chin. There was a certain look in his eyes that Hakkai found alarming and he could only imagine what was going on inside that twisted brain of his. "The only creatures I know with golden eyes are…"

"I wish for me and my companions to be excused. I believe we are getting quite weary for we hadn't slept very well last night." Perhaps Sanzo had sensed something too, for all of a sudden he was in such a hurry to get out of here as soon as possible. And his instincts were screaming at him that this snake charmer has more than what met the eye. The way he looked at Goku, it was as if he knew about his real identity.

Queen Kanzeon, who had been watching this exchange with quite some time now, looked disapprovingly at Sanzo. It seemed like the Prince could never restrain himself from showing his true colors, even in front of guests. She also noticed the way the rest of his followers had acted towards the arrival of Nii. Perhaps asking for his presence wasn't such a good idea after all… "As you wish, Sanzo. But I do hope you could join me and Lady Gyokumen for tea this afternoon," she said, enjoying the disgusted expression that crossed her nephew's face for a few seconds.

"I have no time for that," Prince Sanzo snapped. He glanced at Nii. "It was…_nice _meeting you." And with those words, he and the others left the room without even glancing back, so they were unable to see the mischievous smile that crossed the snake charmer's face.

The moment they were outside, Goku let out a sigh of relief at the same time Gojyo cursed loudly. Normally, Hakkai would have scolded him for cursing in front of children, even though Sanzo told him many times that Goku was not a child, but he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. And Sanzo couldn't blame him, for even he was quite affected by that encounter with Nii Jen Yi.

"Sanzo…" Goku started.

"What now?"

"He's…he's creepy. I don't like him."

And for the first time ever, Sanzo found himself sharing something in common with the genie.

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"Sleep."

Sanzo stared angrily down at the figure of Goku, who was sitting at the foot of his bed, doing nothing in particular. And Sanzo knew that a bored Goku was a big damage to mankind. It was already late in the evening, and he was becoming very sleepy, a thing that was rare, for it was like seeing him smile everyday. But of course, the hyper active genie just had to ruin it for him.

"I can't sleep," Goku said for the fifth time that night. Surprisingly, his face was serious, his eyes dull, and there was no trace of the once restless boy that Sanzo had first met, and he wondered what had caused this abrupt change. He was fiddling with the tussles on Sanzo's pillow, which annoyed Sanzo. But at least he wasn't creating havoc. Yet.

"If you don't sleep, you'll get hungry. And when you're hungry, you'll bother me. Then I'll never be able to sleep," Sanzo told him, as he frowned at the idea. Gojyo would tease him on end tomorrow morning if he found so much as dark circles under his eyes and Hakkai, being the overly mother, or in his case, father hen of the group, would only make him stay in bed all day. "Go back to your room."

"I…I can't!" Goku replied, looking scandalized.

Sanzo arched a brow. "And why is that?"

"I…well…I just can't!" Goku exclaimed, flustered.

"Is the room I gave you not suited to genie's tastes?" Sanzo asked.

"Well, no! I like very much! The view coming from the window is very nice and I can see the palace gardens from up there. And my bed has all these pillows that are so soft and…" Goku's voice trailed, and some spark returned in his eyes as he continued to describe his room, which was on the third floor right above Sanzo's.

"Then what seems to be the problem?" Sanzo wanted to know.

"I…I'm scared," Goku finally admitted. His appearance confirmed it. His golden eyes were now large and filled with something that Sanzo couldn't quite put a finger on. He looked like a puppy that had lost its owner.

"Scared? Of what?" Sanzo had never thought the genie to be one who was easily scared. After all, insulting Gojyo and annoying Sanzo was something that was definitely classified as bravery. Was it possible that this person who had called Gojyo "scorpion" countless times was afraid of the dark?

Goku stared at the floor. "I'm scared…of being alone," he whispered. Memories of being trapped in that bottle he had been living in for years haunted him. Of course the others never knew it, but being inside that bottle was no simple feat. All he ever saw was darkness, and there was no one to talk to. In fact, during that time, Goku would have been willing to sacrifice the great powers that came with being a genie just to ensure that he could finally leave that place.

Sanzo scoffed. "That's stupid," he stated.

"I know," Goku said, sighing.

The silence engulfing them was deafening. Goku was feeling more and more alone and Sanzo, well, let's just say the situation wasn't helping his mood very well, and he could feel some of his drowsiness creeping away. When finally he couldn't take it, he said, "Go back to your room."

"But-"

"I _said, _go back to your room. There won't be any monsters hiding in the dark, unless by some miracle Gojyo happened to be there. Besides, I'm only one floor away, so there is no point in worrying," Sanzo said callously as he turned on the other side of the bed, so his back was facing Goku.

Goku blinked. If he didn't known better, it sounded like Sanzo, the very same Sanzo who had been hitting him on the head with his sword countless times, actually _cared. _Or maybe it really was his imagination…But whatever it is, his words seemed to have some effect on him, and he found himself believing the arrogant Prince.

He smiled. It was a good thing Sanzo couldn't see him right now, for he would've cursed him again for smiling, jumping to conclusions or something along those lines. "Okay. Good night Sanzo," he half-whispered as he opened the door, but not before hearing Sanzo's reply.

"If you're leaving, then, yes, it would be a good night."

Goku grinned.

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Sanzo, surprisingly, did not wake up the next morning because of the noisy rackets the birds were making, or Gojyo teasing Hakkai about always practicing yoga in the morning, or one of the servants knocking on his door to tell him it was time for breakfast. But of course, it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the biggest dilemma the Tougenkyo Prince had ever come across – the genie Goku. There was Sanzo, dreaming about fighting in battle, when the loud shouts and the throwing of furniture coming from outside made him open his eyes. At first he thought it was just Gojyo, arguing with another one of those women who was so dumb as to always want to be with him, but then he heard the familiar voice of Goku. The next thing he knew, he was standing up and opening the door to his chambers.

"What in the seven hells are you doing?" he yelled as he found the two culprits at each other's throats outside, steam practically coming out of their ears. Sanzo noticed that Gojyo's face had been greatly decorated, with, well, all kinds of markings. There was the messy words "I'm ugly" written on his left cheek, a lame drawing of a cockroach on his forehead and another phrase of "I'm a scorpion" on his chin. It made quite an impression, actually and seeing the scene before him actually made the blonde relax and forget about being rudely awoken. After all, it's not everyday that the womanizer Sha Gojyo sported such a look, right?

"Sanzo!" Goku said, relief evident in his face as he saw the familiar face of his master. "Gojyo's picking a fight with me again!"

Gojyo, who at the moment was on Destruction mode, gritted his teeth and Sanzo swore he almost looked like a dangerous tiger at that time. Well, almost. "That would never have happened if your idiotic self just refrained from barging into my room and writing things on my face!" he shouted as he shook the genie's body several times, his eyes spinning.

"It's not my fault you didn't lock your room!"

"Don't start talking about security here, you stupid little monkey!" Gojyo exclaimed, seething.

"I'm not a monkey! I'm a genie!" Goku protested as he tried to get away from Gojyo's mighty grip on his neck.

"No! You're a _monkey!" _

"I'm a _genie_, you perverted beetle!"

"Who gave you the right to call me an insect? And don't try to change the topic! Look again at what you did to me! Do my wonderful face look like paper?"

Goku shrugged. "Not really. I mean, paper's smooth, while you're face is so rough. Maybe I should've braided your hair instead."

"Why you…!"

"Shut up, you two!" Sanzo cried out as he felt his anger quickly returning at their earsplitting bickering. With fast movements, he threw his beloved sword at them and which resulted in two writhing beings pinned to the floor, with matching swelling bruises on their heads.

"Careful where you throw that sword of yours! Are you not aware that it's an object for slicing, not for throwing?" Gojyo exclaimed as he tried his damnest to stand up despite the throbbing pain on his head. Unfortunately, the glare he sent Sanzo went unnoticed, which only added to his anger.

"Tch," Sanzo said. He smirked. "You look better like that anyway."

"You wrinkled old man! I'm gonna kill you with my bare hands!" Gojyo snarled as he lunged for Sanzo, who stood casually leaning on the wall.

But at that same moment, Hakkai chose to appear, much to Sanzo's relief, carrying one of those ancient scrolls he was reading a while ago. He instantly smiled when he saw Gojyo's furious ink-filled face and Goku who was still passed out on the floor, twitching in agony. "You guys are such a bunch of early birds," he remarked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Don't start with me, Hakkai," Sanzo growled. He hated it when the advisor took great pleasure in seeing them argue. If he didn't know better, he'd think he's some sadist. He so wanted to wipe that smile off his face, but even a prince like him has his manners. Besides, Hakkai served as a useful man, especially now that he is the only one who can survive taking care of Goku, and could get him out of sticky situations with the Queen, so there was no point in injuring him.

"Of course, of course," Hakkai replied, still smiling. He then again turned to Goku, who had finally managed to get up from the floor. "I see you have already practiced your writing. And I think you're improving."

Goku beamed at him. "Really? Really? Really?" he said happily.

Gojyo was torn between surprise and anger. "What's that supposed to mean?" he said. There was just something about Hakkai's words….

"Oh, earlier this morning, Goku had chanced upon me in my room, with nothing to do, so I decided to teach him basic writing and reading. And judging from the words on your face, he has managed to absorb what I'm teaching him," Hakkai explained calmly, unaware of the sudden angry look on Gojyo's face.

"What? You taught that _monster _how to write? So you're the one at fault!"

"I'm not a monster!" Goku griped as he punched Gojyo in the face.

"Ow! You little devil!" Gojyo exclaimed, grabbing Goku by the collar and flinging him to the floor face down.

"And why is it my fault?" Hakkai asked.

"If you didn't teach him how to write, none of this could've happened in the first place!" Gojyo said, referring to his face.

But Sanzo, who had long ago passed the role of referee to Hakkai, went back inside his room. There was no point in listening to a bunch of idiots fight about nonsense things. Just then, he heard a tapping coming from the window. When he looked enough, there was a black bird, its tiny little beak making tapping noises. Sanzo recognized this as Hiryu, Kougaiji and Lirin's bird which they always use when they want to deliver messages to them unnoticed.

Sanzo gritted his teeth as he pondered over what those bandits wanted now. He opened the window and let the bird in. And there enough, when he looked closer, was a scroll of paper attached to its right leg. The Prince untied it and scanned the note with his eyes:

_Go to the festival at the marketplace today and meet us there. And don't worry, this time, we're not asking you to steal. I know Mr. Red Eyes is still mad at me about what happened last time. Anyway, I know you have a new companion with you, and Brother and the others want to meet him. We'll see you there later or else, well…erm, I'm still thinking of what to threaten you with…_

_Yours truly,_

_L_

Sanzo crumpled the piece of paper and shooed Hiryu away. He didn't even want to know how those buffoons managed to know about Goku. It was still so early in the morning, and he felt like throwing up at the painful headache he had now acquired. What is it even possible that he could just rest for even one day? Sanzo didn't even bother to answer his own question.

He unwillingly went back outside where the monkey and the cockroach were still at it, and Hakkai's pleas of "Stop it" fell on deaf ears. "Stop it now!" Sanzo yelled.

It was a good thing that Gojyo and Goku knew of Sanzo's famous temper and "creative" punishments, for as if time itself froze; they immediately stopped fighting and yelling, which was not by any means a miracle, given that Sanzo was equipped with a weapon.

"We're going to the festival at the marketplace," Sanzo informed them, glowering at them as if daring them to object.

Gojyo snorted. "What for?"

Hakkai smiled knowingly. "I'm guessing this is another request from our beloved friends?"

Sanzo looked repulsed at the idea of Lirin and her gang being friends with him. In all his years with mingling with them, he had never once considered them as friends. How could he when all they managed to do was get them into trouble? No, the best term to refer to them was "acquaintances", nothing more. "They are not my friends," he said coldly.

"Whom are you talking about Sanzo?" Goku asked curiously.

"No one, so shut up," Sanzo snapped. He didn't need another one of Goku's Ask-A-Million-Questions session.

"Are there all kinds of food at the festival, Sanzo?" Goku asked again.

"Don't talk to me."

"Will there be meat, and pork and chicken and noodles and fruits?"

Meanwhile, Gojyo was faced with another problem. "How can I go outside looking like this?" he exclaimed in horror as he gestured to his face. Thoughts of all those wonderful women waiting for him and the sight of Sanzo smirking at him were not helping him any better. Oh, how he longed to beat the monkey into oblivion….

Hakkai chuckled. "Ah, Gojyo…In case you don't know, that's permanent ink," he stated and watched the shifting of emotions of his perverted friend.

"_WHAT?"_

Let's just say, Gojyo changed his mind, for if before he wanted to beat Goku, now he wanted to kill him. Maybe if we hoped hard enough, there wouldn't be another monkey to die in this world tonight...

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_**Up next on Monkey in A Bottle (title not yet decided):**_

_**The Sanzo-ikkou meets with Lirin and the others at the festival. But with a certain monkey on the loose, things are bound to go wrong.**_

AN: Yeah, I know I suck. This is a rather boring chapter. I'm not really fond of Nii, so the first scene was rather…well, pointless. Plus, the summary at the last chapter was rather Is three days attending classes already damaging my brain? Dang. Or maybe I'm just making excuses. Lol.


	4. Market Mayhem!

MONKEY IN A BOTTLE 

_**By: Insomnia's Child**_

AN: Minna-san! I have only one thing to say: **I am truly sorry for the error in the previous chapter. **For those of you who failed to see this (I already edited the last chapter so there won't be any trace of _that)_, I am referring to the…(wince) "niece" part that should've been "nephew". (Do I have the right to place the blame on Kanzeon, since she's the one who keep calling Sanzo "niece"? Hahaha. Just kidding. : D ) Really now, I didn't know what possessed me to make such a huge mistake! Normally, the worst thing that happened to me was a few typos and grammar mistakes, but not something like that. Blame it on the lack of cheesecake, on the guilty part of me (yes, I _do _have one) that constantly nags me to update, and well, simply _moi_. xD Here are the answers to the reviews:

Doublelynn: Yes, Goku does have a knack for calling Gojyo names. Yeah, poor him. On the other hand, I'm going to make Goku suffer in this chappie. (evil cackle) Just kidding. :P And I'm glad I was able to influence someone to use weird swear words like that. Lol. (grins)

Wolflover: Thanks. And yes, as I explained a while ago, that was a huge mistake on my part. Sorry! (bangs head on the table) No, I definitely cannot imagine Sanzo as a girl! o0

KotoJuri: Thanks and I'm glad you like the creepy Nii as a snake charmer.

Vivid Mirage: Holy camel! A review! Haha. Just fooling around…Anyway, thanks:P

LazyEgotist: Yeah, I realized I was very wrong. Thanks for being one of the people who pointed that out. (grins)

Azamiko: Haha. Sorry, I can't relate. I'm not a fan of yaoi. Some of my friends have long given up on influencing me. But don't worry; I'm not biased when it comes to matters like that. (smiles)

Mad Maggie: Erm, the explanation is above. Sorry for the nth time. Hope that doesn't discourage you to read this fic…

_**CHAPTER 4: Market Mayhem**_

A scowling prince. A flirtatious redhead. A smiling brunette. A scared looking kid. A dragon. There couldn't have been a stranger group than this one. Everywhere, people looked at them as they passed by, either in curiosity, in awe, or in fear. Who wouldn't? Others thought that the way they walk as if they owned the place (Actually, in Sanzo's case, that's partly true) and with faces spelling that they couldn't care less about the people surrounding them, was boastful manner.

But more than that, if you would look closely, you may notice that something is wrong in the picture. Any guesses? If your answer is the scared looking kid, or something close enough, then yes, by any means, you are correct. (That also means that you have been reading this story almost religiously, which shows my efforts are not put to waste) For indeed, if your eyes aren't playing tricks on you, you should be able to see Goku the Genie, looking every bit as uncomfortable and with an expression of utter horror on his face. Now, most of you would've rolled your eyes at the obviousness of the situation, pointing out that anyone riding beside that ferocious looking blonde was expected to tremble under his glares.

Ahhh, if it only was the case. But anyone who knew the genie Goku would also know that he did not fear anyone, especially the mentioned blonde, Sanzo. But camels, however, are an exception. Yes, the same energetic boy who had managed to drive the entire palace household crazy with his silly antics and troublemaking ways, was afraid of _camels, _possibly the most harmless creatures on Earth aside from giraffes. The thought was both preposterous yet hilarious. Apparently, it was the first time Goku had the opportunity to ride a camel and I'm sure that that day was one that the four boys would never forget.

It was past noon when Sanzo had finally convinced the others to go with him to meet the famous thieves at the marketplace. That is, after the long monkey versus cockroach fight was over. It was a good thing Hakkai was there to stop Gojyo from murdering Goku or else Sanzo would really turn into an old wrinkled man as Gojyo always say. It also added to the redhead's obvious displeasure that he spent hours trying to get rid of the ink on his face, only to result with a face as red as a cherry.

"Gojyo's blushing! Gojyo's blushing!" Goku sang under his breath, grinning wickedly.

Gojyo replied by proposing World War II. And then the cycle began again. Goku was shouting, Gojyo was punching, Hakkai was pleading and Sanzo, well, he just yelled in a God-like voice, "Stop!" with matching death looks, and everything went back to normal.

Then, he motioned for them to go.

Of course, Gojyo had objected and even Hakkai told him it wasn't safe. But frankly, Sanzo didn't care. The way Queen Kanzeon smiled at him whenever he was scolding Goku was sickening. Besides, the palace walls were once again starting to suffocate him and he definitely needed to get out for fresh air. But of course, one thing he didn't consider was the fact that Son Goku was coming with them. Alas, I would predict that in the next few hours, Sanzo would come to a realization that listening to Gojyo for once would not hurt.

The genie's eyes popped open once he saw today's mode of transportation. A camel. He knew there was nothing entirely wrong with it, except for the fact that it made him undergo several reactions and he had to endure the sickening feeling at the pit of his stomach. He wasn't even hungry this time. "Erm…Sanzo?" he asked tentatively.

"I'm not sharing my camel with you," was the Prince's crisp reply.

"Its not that…" Goku said. The last thing on his mind was being in close contact with the blonde, seeing that his head had already suffered from all the bruises inflicted by Sanzo.

"What then?"

Goku bit his lip. "I don't want to ride on a hunchback. Handicapped animals shouldn't be subjected to pain," he said, his sad golden eyes fixed on the ground. Then beaming proudly, he added, "Hakkai taught me that." He also forgot to mention the fact that the camel was bringing forth odd reactions from him. Like when he tried to go near it, his body didn't want to comply and he could feel himself freezing up.

Gojyo laughed like a madman. "Hunchback?" he sputtered.

"Handicapped?" Sanzo exclaimed. He didn't know whether to glare or look weirdly at Goku. Truly, the monkey had proved his theory. Genies were dumb.

"Me?" Hakkai said.

Goku frowned as he peered at the other's faces. "What? Did I say something wrong?" he asked innocently, which only brought more laughter from Gojyo's part.

"Ah, you see, Goku…" Hakkai started, devising the best way to break it to the genie without confusing him and bringing forth a dozen and so questions at him. "Camels are…made like that, with lumps. But that doesn't necessarily mean that they're handicapped. And the term isn't exactly…well…hunchbacks."

"But why would someone make them like that? That's injustice! Weren't you telling me a while ago that animals shouldn't be tortured? Why is it that they're like that then?" Goku asked, looking at Hakkai as a student looked at his teacher.

Hakkai did his best really, and even attempted to explain to Goku the way a camel's body function and all kinds of things, but sadly, the concept was lost to the golden-eyed boy. He shouldn't really be blamed, since it wasn't his fault he has short attention span and time-to-time his thoughts would drift to other things long enough not to get what Hakkai meant. Finally, he said, "I don't get it."

"We noticed," Sanzo said dryly.

"Look, can we just forget all about that and go now? The girls are waiting for me," Gojyo said.

Goku, however, was looking at the camel as if one move would cause it to bite him. "Do we really have to ride that?" he said in a whisper.

"Why, I didn't know you're such a coward, stupid monkey," Gojyo teased, savoring the few seconds wherein anger flashed on Goku's face. "Stupid coward monkey! Stupid coward monkey!"

Goku's face flushed. "I'm NOT a coward, and a monkey! I'm not afraid of camels either!" he exclaimed, although it was clearly written on his face that he was, indeed, afraid of the animal.

"Who're you fooling? If you're not a liar, then prove it! Ride that camel," Gojyo said, smirking as Goku's features contorted into an expression of horror.

"I-I…I can't!" Goku wailed.

"Why ever not?"

Goku stared at the ground, hoping it would swallow him whole. It was better than admitting to Gojyo that he wasn't too comfortable with camels. "I'm…. I'm allergic to camels," he finished lamely.

"And who's believing you, Mr. Pinocchio?" Gojyo said with a grin.

Goku just pouted and looked persuasively at Sanzo and Hakkai, who were standing a good foot from them, so as not to suffer from their loud wailings. "Can't we ride Hakuryuu instead?" he begged.

"I'm afraid not, Goku. Think of what the people would say once they see us riding a magic carpet to the marketplace. The last thing we need right now, especially when meeting with Li-I mean, someone, would be to draw attention to ourselves," Hakkai explained as he stroked his pet dragon, which was resting on his shoulder.

"But…"

"Get on the camel, you genie," Sanzo ordered.

"No!"

And thus began for the conquest for the best method to make Goku ride a camel. Somehow, despite Hakkai's lengthy explanation, his mind still firmly believed that camels are slaves and by riding on it, he was only adding more pain to the creature. All in all, it had taken all of Sanzo's threats and Hakkai's coaxing coupled with Gojyo's laughter to make him agree. Sanzo almost killed him in the process.

"Eeeeeek!" Goku had screamed once his body came in contact with the camel. He felt the animal's lump at the exact same moment he decided that riding camels was definitely not comfortable. It also didn't help that Sanzo was staring at him as if to say that one more shout and he would be history. Goku would have had no problem obeying him, except for the teeny tiny fact that the camel started to _move. _Now.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

At that moment, all people, Sanzo in particular, wished they hadn't got ears. It would have been such a comical sight, Goku looking every bit as harassed while riding a camel; except for the fact that they were afraid their eardrums would crack. ("It's understandable to be scared to a fast horse, but not a slow, turtle-like camel," Gojyo had whispered to Hakkai) It was one thing to have someone screaming as if he was burning in a stake, but it was even worse when said person was only several inches away from you. Regardless of that matter, what happened only proved that the genie's companions were indeed blessed by the gods, because by any means, they survived the trip, all the while enduring a certain monkey's wails. Which brings us back to the topic of the famous four walking the sidewalks of the Tougenkyo market…

"Sanzo! Sanzo! Sanzo! Buy me this! And this! Oh, and that one too!"

Goku was having the time of his life, seeing twice as many foods than in the kitchens. His face brightened. In all his many years of existence, he had never seen such a lively crowd. Everything was new for him, the scents, the people wandering about, and the place. And it excited him. He could feel the adrenaline rushing to him like waters from a waterfall.

"Someone's enjoying himself," Gojyo said, grinning sadistically as he stood beside a grumpy Sanzo who was trying to shake off Goku's attempts to lure him at a nearby fruits stall.

"I could say the same for you," Hakkai told him as he watched a couple of young girls in veils staring at his tanned friend with shy smiles and flushed cheeks. Sure, Gojyo was widely known for chasing women, but that doesn't necessarily mean that women don't chase after him too, although Sanzo would like to differ.

Gojyo grinned. "Can't help it if we're popular," he said as he winked at the girls' direction, almost making them faint with happiness.

Hakkai laughed. "Go. Better not to keep them waiting," he said. He did wish for his friend's happiness, but more than that, the peace that would occur if Gojyo stayed away from Goku and Sanzo. He was sure the crowd at the marketplace wouldn't appreciate another special performance from the three.

"Don't mind if I do," said a happy Gojyo. And in a blink of an eye, he was already gone, probably to go declaring self-made love quotes and practicing his kissing skills on those poor, unfortunate girls.

(AN: Poor Unfortunate Soul sang by Ursula from The Little Mermaid playing in the background. Lol. Just kidding. : P)

Hakkai's thoughts were interrupted by a frustrated shout that could only come from Sanzo. Glancing at him, he noticed immediately that their dear Prince was in another one of his bad moods. And although Hakkai didn't know exactly what caused this, he did know that it had something to do with Goku. "Is something wrong, Sanzo?" he asked.

"The brat is missing," Sanzo managed to say through gritted teeth. He had only turned his back on him for a fraction of a second because he just couldn't stand the way he was devouring the watermelon. It was disgusting, to say the least, especially once seen through the eyes of a person who was taught table manners. But then when he looked in his direction, he found the genie gone.

"Maybe he went to find Gojyo. Or have you looked hard enough?" Hakkai said, carefully choosing his words so as not to anger the Prince more.

"You dare suggest that that stupid monkey went to find Gojyo, of all people? Weren't you present when the two tried to kill each other this morning?" Prince Sanzo exclaimed. Just he wait, because once he sees Goku he would give him the worst beating of his life.

Hakkai laughed. "Yes, yes. I believe everyone saw it," he said.

Suddenly, Sanzo was struck by a brilliant idea. Maybe…just maybe… A tiny smile appeared on his face. "Tch. What trouble. Let's just let him be. If he wants to run away, then no one's stopping him. After all, I have no need for people like him," he said. That way, he would finally be free from that genie's clutches and no one would even blame him for it. Just the thought of having his old life back made him smile again.

But unfortunately for him, Hakkai had other plans. "Now, now, Sanzo. Don't be a selfish prince. We all like Goku's company, even though Gojyo would rather die than tell that out loud. And I don't think he would appreciate being left behind. He'll get ten times more hyper active and annoying to you if you do that," he said as politely as possible, but there was a certain edge to his tone that Sanzo didn't like.

Sanzo glared at Hakkai for all he was worth. He was this close to freedom from the Prince of all Annoying Genies and he didn't want anyone, much less the royal advisor, in his way. "I believe I know what's good enough for me. I don't need your advice on his matter," he said stonily.

"Ah, as you wish, Sanzo. I'm very sure Her Majesty would understand that you lost Goku because you didn't even bother to search for him," Hakkai said, smiling.

Sanzo clenched his fists. So it seemed Hakkai was now playing Follow the Leader, a game that no one, not even he could escape. And today, as luck would have it, Hakkai had the upper hand. Sanzo wasn't a fool to risk Hakkai telling this piece of information to his aunt. She was sure to torture him more often and he, an _innocent _prince, would never hear the end of it. He mentally cursed Goku for even being attached to Hakkai, for judging from the advisor's actions; he clearly cared for the genie now. "Do not, and I repeat, do _not _tell this to _her. _Ever," he growled.

"Of course," Hakkai said, clearly pleased that Sanzo had finally complied. Of course he really didn't plan on telling it to Queen Kanzeon, since he wasn't very good with swords, and by the time he learned how to handle one, Sanzo had long cut off his head. "Now shall we search for him?"

"Only because I want to slice him to pieces when I see him," was Sanzo's inaudible reply.

Hakkai smiled. It wasn't until now that he discovered the magical powers that one could have when bluffing.

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Sanzo had only been searching for any signs of the genie for only a few minutes, but he could already feel a headache brewing inside of him. He had already cursed Goku, Hakkai, Gojyo and all the other irritating people on his hate list, but by the time he had already finished mentioning every single one of them, he still hadn't seen him. He will have to deal with those thieves later, for they can wait. Right now, as each minute passed, Sanzo could feel his anger rising. He verily wanted to slice everyone he meet with his ruthless sword in order to relieve his anger. Too bad he was the future ruler of this kingdom….

"Damn Hakkai," he muttered under his breath. When Sanzo was forced to comply, Hakkai had immediately left him on his own, saying that he would first try to find Gojyo and persuade him to join for the search for Goku. But Sanzo highly doubted that the cockroach would be stupid enough to agree. But if he ever did, that only proves that he was a total idiot.

Just then, a flash of brown caught his eye. Squinting closely, Sanzo saw it was a boy, a brown haired boy, moving at a fast speed. Aha. He found him at last. With this knowledge, his anger only raised a few notches, and without wasting time, he ran and pushed through the crowd. He managed to catch up with him, and grabbed a hold of his shirt in order to keep him from getting away.

"You stupid, stupid monkey!" Sanzo bellowed in a voice that was sure to reach the heavens. "What the hell do you think you're doing, running away like that? Do you know how much trouble you've caused me? I'm going to dump you on a boiling pot and feed you to Gojyo!" He then used Goku as a punching bag, mercilessly beating him with his sword, not even caring if he broke Goku's bones in the process. All he knew was that he was mad, so mad that all he could see was red.

Only then when Goku exclaimed "Ouch!" did he realize his grave mistake. He immediately realized that that voice couldn't belong to the same genie he had been hunting. He blinked several times, and to his horror, he realized that in his anger, he had grabbed the wrong boy. What stood in front of him was another boy, with wide eyes fixed on Sanzo, trembling and looking the entire world like a scared, trapped mouse. Surrounding them were a crowd of people who had seen him hurt the boy, some muttering words such as "Child abuse", "Madman" and "Should we call the authorities?"

"P…please sir…I don't know what you're talking about!" the boy stammered, trying his best not to cry.

Sanzo felt like kicking himself in the shins. It was a good thing Gojyo wasn't there to witness this, or else he would've died with laughter, teasing him to no end about being blind. He quickly released his grip on the boy. With the last ounce of his dignity, he walked off, not even bothering to apologize, for his pride would never allow him that.

And now, Sanzo continued his search, this time ten times madder than before.

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On the other side of the planet, the object of Sanzo's anger was strolling the streets, absorbing everything he laid eyes on. For the first time in his life, he felt free. It was unlike anything he had experienced. All this excitement, it was teasing him, telling him that there was much more things to explore. Goku welcomed and relished the feeling. He was glad that for even a moment, his thoughts weren't centered on his five hundred years of imprisonment.

Goku sniffed the air. He was sure he had smelled corn being cooked a while ago, but now that he went were his nose had led him, he couldn't find the source. But despite his hunger, he didn't dwell on it much longer. After all, he did manage to spot a stall selling bananas, now one of his favorite fruits, thanks to Hakkai, the one who introduced it to him yesterday.

Grinning in delight, he exclaimed, "Sanzo! Can you buy me bananas? I'll grant you a wish if you feed me!" He was about to grasp his keeper's hand only to realize that there was no hand to begin with. Blinking, he stared at the empty spot where he thought Sanzo was.

"Sanzo?" he called out. Where could he have gone? As far as he could remember, he was just beside him a minute ago. Searching the sea of people with his keen eyes, he couldn't find a single trace of the blonde prince. His heart started to beat faster and all he could think about was that Sanzo had disappeared. All hints of excitement vanished in an instant. The place he was in was not familiar and without Sanzo, he didn't know what to do.

"SANZO!" Goku yelled, this time with more urgency. When he finally accepted the fact that the Prince was not going to answer, he tried to retrace his footsteps. But he couldn't tell the difference between the original stall where he and Sanzo bought a watermelon, for there were a dozen or so similar stalls.

"Sanzo! Hakkai! Gojyo!"

His body felt limp. He was lost. And hungry. Sanzo would scold him to hell and back once he caught sight of him. That is, if they ever met again. Goku felt another strange feeling growing inside of him. He tried to be optimistic by thinking that maybe they were already searching for him, but he couldn't help but think back to those times wherein Sanzo always yell about getting rid of him.

"Sanzo…" he whispered again.

But he snapped out of his daze when he felt a person collide with him, causing them to fall on the hard ground. "Ouch!" he muttered as the stranger's head pressed on his hand.

When he tried to get up, his gaze however, did not waver to the stranger. Instead, he found a banana, the very thing he was craving for, lying innocently on the ground, unpeeled. Not being able to resist the temptation and the constant pleas of his stomach, Goku grabbed it happily, all thoughts about his companions flying out of the window. "Delicious!" he said as he took a bite.

However, he was surprised when someone punched him in the face. "What the heck…" Goku mumbled as he stared wide-eyed at the girl who dared attack him. It was the stranger whom he had bumped into. She was the same height as her, with reddish orange hair that hung in curls.

"That's my banana, you thief!" she screeched as her eyes glinted madly upon the sight of her half-eaten fruit. She tried to wrestle it from him, but was surprised at Goku's strength.

"Let go!" the girl exclaimed.

But we all know that Goku was never one to give up on food. Especially food that happened to appear out of nowhere. "I found it!" he told her as he increased the grip on the fruit. "Go find your own food!"

"That's mine! I stole, I mean, bought it a while ago!" the stranger whined. "Give it back, jerk!"

"No! Besides, do you still want to eat a banana which has someone's saliva on it?" Goku asked, hoping against hope that she would just give up. He didn't think he could hold on much longer, since the girl was now pinching his right arm. And it hurt.

"Lirin!"

Lucky for them both, a guy, presumably a friend or relative of the girl named Lirin, came walking towards them. Now, Goku should've been concentrating on his banana, but he couldn't help but look up at the owner of the voice. His eyes widened. It wasn't because of the person's perfect tanned skin, his slanted violet eyes, his dark red hair, the muscles showing on his arms, or the clothes that he wore that startled him, but rather the impact of the powerful aura that seemed to surround him. Goku had no second thoughts about this man being far from ordinary.

"Brother!" Lirin happily exclaimed as she jumped and greeted him with an enthusiastic wave of her hand.

The stranger looked sternly at the girl. "Haven't I told you before not to go picking fights with peasants in streets?" he reprimanded.

"Hey!" Goku protested. He was so tired of people calling him names such as "stupid monkey". All he wanted was to be acknowledged as the genie Goku. Was it so hard to ask? "For your information, I'm not a peasant!"

"Oh really? Then what are you?"

Goku grinned. "I'm-" But before he could even finished his sentence, someone interrupted him.

"A stupid monkey. That's what he is."

Turning to his right, Goku looked in relief at the approaching figure of Gojyo, Hakkai and Sanzo, all who seemed like they had the worst day of their lives. Sanzo, above all, was looking more stressed than usual and Goku hoped it wasn't because of him. He didn't even bother to argue with Gojyo for calling him a monkey once again, for he was far too busy feeling happy that they didn't abandon him at all.

"Guys!"

To Goku's astonishment, it wasn't only him who shouted that word. Lirin was now waving frantically at them as she bounced on her toes, gesturing them to come quickly.

"You…you know them?" Goku said in disbelief. Sure, he would've accepted the fact that Gojyo and Hakkai knew the girl, since they were at some level considered the friendly type, but he had never thought Sanzo, the anti-social, "Don't touch me" Sanzo, would socialize with market people.

"Well, duh!" Lirin said, rolling her eyes. She still hasn't forgiven him for stealing her banana. "How come you know them?"

Goku shrugged. "I live with them," he answered.

Lirin's eyes bulged. Her jaw dropped to the floor. "Hey, baldy Sanzo! This can't be the new companion we heard you have, right?" she said, pointing to Goku as Sanzo and the others neared them.

But Sanzo never replied. Instead, he walked up to Goku and smashed his fist on his head several times until he was satisfied, ignoring Goku's exclamation of pain. This time, he did make sure that it was the real genie. "Why did you go disappearing like that? Don't you know that you drove us NUTS?" he yelled at the top of his voice.

"Sanzo!" Goku whined. He was far too beaten up to move properly. "I'm sorry! And that really hurt, you know…"

"Serves you right," Sanzo muttered.

"Yeah! I'm going to kill you, you stupid monkey! If it weren't for you and your disappearing acts, then maybe I would've had at least a nice time with all those young girls!" Gojyo said, scowling.

"It's not my fault you're a pervert!"

"And it's not _my _fault you're under the care of the corrupt prince!"

"Shut up! Don't you dare bring me into your stupid argument!" Sanzo yelled. He promptly gave them a loud "Thwack" on the head coupled with a few curses that Hakkai had to cover Goku's innocent ears in order for him not to hear it.

"Good afternoon to you too, Sanzo."

Sanzo met the violet eyes of Kougaiji. Fiery demeanor? Check. Intimidating attitude? Check. Prince of thieves? Check. Lirin's elder brother? Check. Yes, there is no wonder, this is definitely THE Kougaiji I was talking about a few days back. The one who had almost driven Gyoukumen Koushu to the brink of insanity and the one person that the local authorities have never managed to capture. So it was really quite ironic that he was the very person the Prince of Tougenkyo was meeting.

"Kougaiji," Sanzo simply said, inclining his head in his own version of a greeting. It startled him that Kougaiji and Lirin didn't even bother disguising themselves when going out to such a public place such as the marketplace, where their names were always the topic of discussions by vendors. In fact, he was even more surprised that no one was chasing after them right now. But he guessed that the Prince of Thieves has his own reasons.

"Where's the rest of your merry little group?" Gojyo asked lazily.

"Back at the hideout," was Kougaiji's terse reply.

"I believe you have something you wish to discuss with us?" Hakkai said as he eyed him.

"Yes. And it concerns your new companion," Kougaiji replied. His gaze rested on Goku, who was having another fight with Lirin. But when he spoke, the two stopped arguing and looked at him, Goku curiously and Lirin proudly.

"You," Kougaiji said.

"Me?" Goku asked, blinking innocently.

"Yes, you. What is your name?" Kougaiji asked.

"Goku," Goku happily supplied.

Kougaiji surveyed Goku as if he was looking for something that was hard to find. It made the genie uncomfortable and he began shifting in his gaze, growing more and more nervous. Finally, Kougaiji looked back up at Sanzo. "He's a fine genie," he stated.

Sanzo narrowed his eyes. So the bastard knew… It wasn't the first time the man had surprised him, which was probably one of the reasons why Sanzo had managed to tolerate him for years. One could be so bold as to say the Prince respected him, but that would be going too far. "How did you know?" he wanted to know.

Kougaiji allowed a fraction of a smile to grace his face. "Haven't you learned anything from associating with us, Prince?" he said.

"Damn. You guys are so annoying," Gojyo mumbled, scowling. "If you even know how many women I had managed to attract so far, I'm going to start to think that you guys are from another planet."

"I know how many women you have, Mr. Red Eyes. I've just seen you kiss a maid last night at the servants' quarters," Lirin declared proudly, failing to see the warning signals from Gojyo to shut her mouth. But it was too late.

"Why Gojyo," Hakkai said, feigning shock. "I didn't know you even do those things with maids."

Gojyo glared at him. "Hey! She was pretty, you know!" he carped.

Sanzo snorted. "Just don't get too near us, you pervert. We don't want your disease affecting us."

"You…!"

Luckily, Kougaiji cleared his throat and brought their attention back to him. "I would have loved to watch your little play, but I don't have all day. Now, if you would allow us, Sanzo, I wish to speak with the genie alone at camp. You can come too," he said.

Sanzo didn't need telling twice that there was definitely something going on. What was Kougaiji up to this time? And why did it involve Goku? It didn't particularly sound good but he trusted Kougaiji enough to know he wouldn't do anything stupid. "I don't care. Ask him. I'm not his fucking keeper, you know," he said, annoyed.

"Well?" Kougaiji said, looking expectantly at Goku, who had absolutely no clue on what to do or say.

Goku searched Sanzo's face for any signs of anger, but all he saw was annoyance. If Sanzo didn't care…and this Kougaiji guy knows him…and he doesn't sound like such a bad guy…. He thought. "Okay," he said, nodding his head. Then he turned to Hakkai and the others. "You're going with us, right?"

Hakkai smiled reassuringly. "If you wish," he simply said.

Lirin, whose anger for Goku had dissipated once she realized he was the genie under Sanzo's care, beamed at Goku. "That's great. I can't wait to show you our hideout. It's really cool! And you get to meet the other people too! They've been dying to meet you," she said enthusiastically.

"What people?" Goku asked curiously.

"Thieves."

Goku's eyes widened considerably at this revelation.

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The first thing that Gojyo had in mind when he arrived at the tavern was to find a pretty lady, preferably one who looked a lot like the girl he was flirting with at the marketplace, order good old wine and simply relax, something that had become rare these days even for such a carefree person like him. Well, if it weren't for the most annoying creature on earth, he thought bitterly at he glanced at Goku at the corner of his eye. He was still rambling on and on about Lirin and the others being thieves and kept muttering things such as "I can't believe it!" over and over again, so much that Sanzo had to threaten him twice before his voice was reduced to a whisper. No, it wasn't because Goku disapproved of stealing and was a little bit like Hakkai, the only person who still has regard for the law sometimes, but because he thought their jobs were pretty cool. Gojyo grinned. Monkeys were great thieves. Maybe he should talk Kougaiji and his gang into adopting him.

"Gojyo."

A tap of his shoulder brought the redhead's attention to the man in front of him. His short dark hair contrasted with his white clothes and turban. A sword could also be seen decorating his hip. And when he looked at Gojyo, his dead eyes somehow softened. This, people, is Sha Gojyo's elder brother. He's real name is Sha Jien, but when he started working as Kougaiji's personal bodyguard and part thief several years ago, a couple of years after Gojyo was finally declared Sanzo's right hand man; his name changed to Dokugakuji. I'm sure that the first question that came to mind is why is it that these two look nothing like each other. Well, that's partly because they were only half-brothers, but one should not dismiss that thought easily, because despite this fact, the two remain as bonded as ever, especially because Dokugakuji was largely involved in Gojyo's past, and he alone knew the secrets behind Gojyo's scars and constant hatred for his hair and eye color.

"Doku," Gojyo greeted, flashing him a grin. "I haven't see you in a while. Been running errands for your prince again, eh?"

Dokugakuji sat on the empty stool opposite Gojyo and smirked. "Not really. More like exploring the world," he said coolly as he surveyed the crowd of laughing men and women, some of which were already drunk.

Gojyo snorted and ran his hands through his hair. "You lucky guy," he muttered.

"So…" His brother started. Gojyo, having known his brother all his life, knew there was something going on in that brain of his. His next words proved him correct. "Where's the guy everyone here's been talking about lately? Is it true that he's a bit…_special_?"

Rolling his eyes, Gojyo pointed at a table a little far from them, where two very loud animals, I mean, people were talking, or rather, shouting at each other animatedly. Lirin was sharing her job experiences to an awed Goku who seemed to hang on to her every word. Let us all pity the people quietly suffering near the energetic duo, which include Yaone who was trying her best to beat the always lucky Hakkai when it comes to cards, and an almost exploding Sanzo who was having a staring match with Kougaiji.

"That's stupid monkey's special, alright. He's the only one who had managed to drive all three of us, including Sanzo, to the brink of insanity. You won't believe what he did to my face this morning! And god…have you seen him eat? He's worse than a pig! Damn. For the first time in my whole life, I envy you guys. At least Lirin can be tolerable. Well, sometimes…" Gojyo ranted.

Dokugakuji's smirk deepened. "It seems like you and the genie have truly bonded," he told him, a smile pasted on his face.

But Gojyo wasn't listening. His eyes were fixed on the figures of Goku and the others, who had ceased what they were doing. Even Lirin was looking serious for once. All attention was on Kougaiji, who seemed to be saying something. Then Gojyo saw Kougaiji stand up and leave with a reluctant yet curious genie.

"So…do you have any idea of what that was all about? What does your leader wants with Goku?" Gojyo couldn't help but ask. He knew his brother knew something. Surely, he wasn't to expect that Kougaiji would be inviting Goku to join their little stealing club? Though that would produce benefits. Sanzo would be thorough pleased, no doubt, so perhaps Gojyo could get away with his insults without meeting the infamous sword hilt face to face.

Dokugakuji grinned. "You're still as impatient as ever. Why don't you just ask your friend about it later? Besides, I'm not sure I should speak of top secret information to you," he told his brother, whose eyes had gone a bit glassy with thinking of all the good insults that he could hurl at Sanzo when "the day" comes.

"Prince of the camels…Blonde hunchback…" Gojyo muttered, lost in his own world.

Dokugakuji gave him an odd look as he observed Gojyo. 'Damn. The blonde prince was right. He really have mental issues.'

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Goku followed Kougaiji obediently down a dark, secret passageway that only the most trusted thieves knew about; occasionally stopping by to observe the displays and paintings hanging on the walls. For a group of people who rely on such a dirty job to feed their stomachs, they sure were wealthy.

He didn't really know why the Prince of Thieves wanted to have a talk alone with him. Something told him (and it probably was the look on Sanzo's face) that people like him don't usually go to marketplaces without risking their lives. So why was he, the most important person on this side of the city aside from Sanzo, so interested in him? Goku could only wonder.

He sneaked a look at Kougaiji, whose stoic face was as unreadable as ever, especially now that the torches attached to the wall provided most of the light, as there were no windows to begin with. His footsteps were light and soundless and Goku felt the need to wince every time his feet made loud, thumping noises.

Finally, they stopped in front of a set of doors and Kougaiji told Goku, "Come in" and went inside the largest one without so much as a glance back. Once again, Goku was astounded at the room he was in. It wasn't flashy like the hallways, and definitely not as grand as the palace rooms, but there was something in its simplicity that stood out.

"Sit down," Kougaiji said formally as he motioned to the stiff wooden chairs beside the bedside table.

Goku gladly obliged. He squirmed uncomfortably in his seat and felt like a prey being watched by a predator. "You…wanted to talk about something?" he asked, unsure of how to begin. It wasn't because he didn't like being alone with Kougaiji, but because he was so eager to get back to the inn to satiate his appetite.

Kougaiji nodded and Goku took that as a good sign. "Yes," he replied curtly and gazed unwaveringly into Goku's golden eyes. "You are a genie, are you not?"

To simply put it, Goku was both surprised and confused. Not many people can distinguish a genie immediately, unless of course the genie himself told him that vital piece of information, and Goku, under Sanzo's direct orders, never told anyone that he was a genie. But maybe Gojyo or Hakkai let it slip this afternoon….

"Do not worry. It was my resources that told me of your true identity," Kougaiji said, as if sensing his troubles.

Goku sighed with relief. "That's good," he breathed.

"As a genie, I believe you grant wishes?" Kougaiji said and there was something with his words that further confused Goku.

"Yeeees…But only if you give me food!" Goku chirped with a grin.

Kougaiji's attention turned elsewhere. "Do you see that painting over there?" The way he said it sounded like he was…hesitant?

But Goku paid no heed to that. He stared at the portrait of a smiling woman that was decorating the bedroom wall. She was very elegant, with defined features. Her hair was long and decorated her face beautifully. But what seemed to brighten the whole painting was her smile, pure and speaking of all the words that were best left unsaid. But Goku felt that there was still something missing in the picture, something that he hadn't figured out.

"She's beautiful," he whispered as he gawked at the painting as if hypnotized.

"She's…my mother," Kougaiji managed to say. His words were laced with a mixture of bitterness, longing and pride, although it was hard to determine which is which, since he was not by any means an open person.

The genie was shocked. His mother? Now that he think of it, the woman does resembles Kougaiji a bit. Why didn't he notice before? But what was even more earth shattering was the fact that Kougaiji shared this information to him. What was he thinking, exactly? "Where is she?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Dead."

For a while, there was a deafening silence that threatened to break the room apart. Nobody moved or spoke. It was as if someone grabbed the remote control and switched everything off, so what would be left are several statues, frozen, with not a thing to say.

"I want you to revive her."

Goku blinked. And blinked. And blinked. Did Kougaiji just tell him what he thought he said? Or was this one of the effects of too much staring at the ground? From what he could gather about the Prince of thieves, he was not one to beg. Well, he wasn't exactly begging him, since his tone still spoke of authority, but to ask _him _a favor… "Re-revive?" he stammered.

"Yes. In return, I will give you as many food as you want," Kougaiji told him.

Goku bit his lip. The idea sounds very tempting. After all, where would you find a person who would willingly give you food that could feed an entire continent in return for a thing that he could easily do with a snap of his fingers? Who would think that being a genie means being faced with consequences that could lead to your death? If he didn't obey Kougaiji, he would kill him, or close enough. But if he did obey, he was sure that Sanzo would never forgive him. And that was the last thing he ever wanted to happen. "Umm…" he said, scratching his head and trying to think of the right answer to preserve his life. "I…"

Kougaiji gave him a look that clearly stated that he only had a minute to decide on his final answer.

"I don't think I can do it," Goku finally admitted. There. He said it.

Kougaiji glared angrily at Goku. "What do you mean you couldn't do it? Do you need more food?" he said silently.

Goku looked anywhere but Kougaiji's eyes. "I…it's against the rules. I can't bring people back from the dead, even if someone, my master or not, wishes for it. That's because my magic is only limited to people who are still living. To go beyond my limitations would be to sentence myself to a fate worse than death," he said. He also forgot to mention the fact that Hakkai taught him that doing stuff like necromancy is like cheating death. And since Goku had self-declared Hakkai as his teacher, he was inclined to believe what he told him.

Goku was pretty sure that he would get strangled for saying this, or that Kougaiji would at least be thoroughly depressed and angry, but he wasn't prepared for what he saw. The red haired man was not in any way mad. In fact, he looked the way he was before he asked him to resurrect his mother. And if his eyes weren't deceiving him, he also acted as if he had already expected this answer from him, another thing that brought Kougaiji to Goku's Top Ten Mysterious People list.

"I see," Kougaiji finally spoke. He gracefully stood up and Goku soon followed. "We have nothing else to talk about. Let's go back and rejoin the others. Forget about what I had just said and not a word of this to anyone. If I find you discussing this matter with anyone, even that dragon pet of yours, I know where to find you."

Goku had the feeling that, try as he might, he would _never _forget about this very weird conversation he had with a certain thief.

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"State your purpose."

"I have brought good news for our lord. Please let me in."

This is the Kobah Tower, the tallest tower in all of Tougenkyo, lying on the south most heart of the Kingdom. But do not be mistaken, for this is no tourist attraction. It would take one from Chang'An at most three days in order to reach the place and the only route available would be to pass by the dirtiest streets known to mankind, where only robbers, poor diseased people, and the mentally unstable could be seen infesting the place, not to mention, the most disgusting of all creatures, namely; all kinds of cockroaches, rats and other insects and pests. For this alone, only the bravest of souls dared to come here.

A trembling young man entered the main chambers. It wasn't like any other reception rooms. The area was pitch black, with only the flickering light of a dying candle to lighten the place. Dark curtains the color of midnight black covered the windows and the smell of ashes and death hung in the air. But the sight that would never be forgotten was that of a man, positioned on a red cushion, with cruel eyes that could haunt you in your dreams. From his body you might easily judge him as weak, but do not make the same mistake as many others, for he was known to be ruthless and as sharp as a newly forged sword. He had a cunning mind that of a fox that had served its use in several intense situations, and he was a man who had never feared death.

"What information from the North do you have for me?"

His voice alone was creepy and the scared man felt as if spiders were crawling on his spine. "I have…heard rumors regarding a…certain _magical _creature in town," he mumbled, fear evident in his voice. He made sure to be careful not to do anything to anger his master, for he was a witness to the man's instrument of torture.

"You think that rumors are worth my attention?"

"That…that's not what I meant my lord…For-forgive me!"

"Just go on."

"Th-thank you, my lord," the man gave a bow and continued, "They said…they said there's a _genie_ that is currently under the care of the royal family, and that his Highness the Prince himself showed special…interest in him."

"A…genie, you say?"

The poor man was pleased to hear the interested tone in his master's voice. "Yes, my lord. This genie is said to be able to grant anyone's wishes and is extremely powerful."

"A friend of the Prince, eh? And very powerful? That would be something new…And do have any proof for this?"

"Yes, of course my lord. In fact, I myself saw him yesterday at the marketplace. And he was with the company of the royal trio no less."

The man's master stroked his chin. "Interesting…" he murmured as he dismissed the man. Then, gazing at the star filled sky, one thought crossed his mind as his lips quirked into a smile.

'I _will _have that genie.'

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_**Chapter 5 (title not yet decided):**_

_**So someone wants to steal Goku eh? We'll find out more about him (But I think you already know who it is, right:P) Meanwhile, Sanzo and the others feel as if they were being watched. What is up with that? And who is another of those insane people that they would meet?**_

_**(Tentative summary)**_

AN: Gomen nasai, guys, for the very, very, very late update! Geometry is sucking all my brain cells (it didn't help that I failed the long test) and all the other activities in school made me so busy I had no time to type this story. And to add to my misery, last week, when my mind was fixed on updating, my computer bugged down, and although it was fixed two days after, the damage was done. All my beloved files, including the latest chapter for this fic, were erased. So yeah, saying that I was suffering through these tough weeks are an understatement. I hope the lengthy explanation made you guys remove me from your hate list…:D You may also have realized that this is the longest chapter so far, but that was only because it took so long for me to update, and well, new ideas are formed through time, right? And I was just wondering, because a (lazy…lol) friend of mine pointed it out a while ago about the inconvenience of my very loooong chapters, so what do you think? **Should I stick with this length, or should I make it shorter? **


	5. Poison's Veil

MONKEY IN A BOTTLE

_**By: Insomnia's Child**_

AN: Wow. I am stunned. After almost a year of abandonment, I finally updated. Sorry for the abnormally and dismally long wait, everyone. I never thought it'd be like this long, but oh well. School kept me busy. But now that it's vacation, I'm on a roll. grins

_**CHAPTER 5: Poison's Veil**_

_Footsteps._

_The sound of steady footsteps against the carpeted floor reached his ears, and he listened as it echoed off along the corridors. Briefly, he noted that whoever was responsible for those footsteps had a confident, almost regal, air about him (as he was sure that the intruder was a man). _

_At first he thought it was Sanzo, for he was the only one whom he thought would seek him out in his chambers this late at night, in order to chastise him for his behavior earlier at dinner (which consisted of much verbal arguments, the beginnings of another food fight and a great lot of other embarrassing things). However, he noticed that the person approaching him smelled nothing like his master; while Sanzo smelled of smoke and sandalwood, the stranger had with him the scent of ashes, soil, and most shocking of all – death._

_And as the door to his room opened, revealing the figure of a tall, dark-haired man with a smile that seemed out of place, he knew immediately that he had been right. This man before him gave off a powerful, dangerous aura, tinted with a little bit of malice._

"_Ah…How good to finally meet you in the flesh…Son Goku…"_

_The way he said his name…It sounded so _wrong, _as though he wasn't supposed to say it out loud, and it caused a tiny prickle of uneasiness to coil within his belly. _

"_Who…are you?"_

_Silence._

_As though his voice had some sort of effect, he felt his surroundings change. The familiar white walls and warm bed morphed into the endless swirls of nothingness. He felt himself falling, and falling, and falling...his mouth formed as though to scream…his whole body being dragged by invisible strings._

_Subsequently, he felt himself slowly land. The area was still and pitch black, revealing nothing of what had become of the man he saw earlier. Was he just a mere hallucination? He doubted it. But where was he? The only answer he received was the hollow sound his feet made as he moved about in the darkness._

_He was so occupied in his thoughts that he gave a jolt when a familiar figure suddenly appeared out of thin air, lying on the ground. It was, undeniably, Sanzo. But what made him feel surprised, instead of relieved, was the axe that seemed to materialize before him. It glistened dangerously, and he was aware of his own shocked reflection staring back at him from the blade. Horrified, he watched as the blade moved slowly towards Sanzo, until finally the tip was already touching the back of his neck._

"_San…Sanzo!" he screamed and made a move to rescue him, but it was too late. The axe fell to the ground with a heavy thud, stained with blood. _

"_NO!"_

_He sank to his knees, trembling. But before he had the time to register how that truly happened, the sight of Sanzo's mangled body faded, along with the axe, and once again, he found himself in the presence of the mysterious stranger with the most disturbing smile he had ever seen. _

"_Did you enjoy that little show, Son Goku?"_

"_Y…you…" _

_The man laughed. It was hauntingly eerie and disturbing, and he had the sudden urge to shudder. _

"_Who are you?"_

_Pausing, the stranger gave him a sinister smile, and for a moment, he noticed his eyes, those unwavering strange eyes. One was like his, gold like the rays of the sun, but the other was as blue as the raging storm at sea. But even that discovery could not compare with the thing that captured his attention - a sparkling dark bottle in his hands._

_He gasped. It was _his _bottle, the one that Sanzo found just a few days ago. And he had a sudden appalling realization about exactly who this dark man is._

"_I…am your new master."_

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Son Goku woke up, panting. His face was covered with sweat, golden eyes wild and frantic. Unconsciously, he gripped his blanket harder and only then did he notice its crumpled state. He must have twisted and turned nonstop in his sleep to cause such damage. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but feel the fierce beating of his heart against his ribcage. Scared. He, who had battled against the tides of time and granted endless wishes with the power throbbing on his fingertips, was scared. But why?

_It was just a nightmare_, he tried to assure himself. Yet the morbid image of Sanzo's lifeless eyes, coupled with the foreign face of the man who had declared himself as his new master, never left his mind. It continued to haunt him, even as he tried to close his eyes, and scolded himself that Gojyo would make fun of him if he ever caught wind of him being scared shitless just because of one single dream.

_But what if it wasn't just a dream? _his inner self voiced out. _What if Sanzo was actually in his room, with an axe on his neck? _

Goku involuntarily shuddered, and once more he felt like having another panic attack. "No…" he whispered. "Sanzo is…Sanzo is…"

He trembled violently once again, just like the way he did in his nightmare, and shook his head over and over again, as though it would help him banish the thoughts from his mind. It proved unsuccessful though. In fact, it only seemed to trigger something inside him, something that suddenly sprang alive, giving him all the energy he needed. Thus, with a sudden act borne out of desperation and assurance, he blindly ran out of his room, his eyes adjusting to the dark hallway and unlit torches. Up the marble staircase, which felt cold to his bare feet, he went, never stopping lest his body give way, until he reached the top most floor – the royal chamber.

The young genie came to a halt when the familiar large gleaming doors leading to his master's private quarters reached his field of vision. Without thinking of the Prince's reaction and what would become of him once he disturbed his sleep, he pounded loudly on the doors. Panic such as he had never known before seeped through his veins, and it only increased tenfold when no answer came from inside the room. He felt like he was on fire, as if he was about to burst any time. What if he was poisoned? Stabbed to death? Kidnapped? Unable to call for help?

"Sanzo! Sanzo!" Goku screamed in a voice that was sure to wake up the rest of the palace occupants any moment. His hands felt sore from all the knocking; yet he was not ready to give up. Not when horrible images of Sanzo lying decapitated on the floor filled his vision… "Sanzo! Open up, please!"

Goku would have welcomed anything – Sanzo's sword hilt meeting his face once again, the loud yelling and scolding he would get – anything except the deafening silence that surrounded him. "Sanzo, it's me, Goku! Open the doors!" he shouted himself hoarse. But when he finally couldn't take it anymore, he destroyed open the doors with an inhuman, almost impossible strength that would have made Gojyo's, and perhaps Sanzo's, jaws drop in shock.

Wiping off the dust and bits of ceramics that fell from his clothes, and looking at the shattered pieces of what was once a very intimidating, strong door that separated the Prince from the rest of the people in the castle, Goku looked around the vast, dark room and found the familiar figure of a sleeping man lying on a king-sized bed draped in velvet blankets, looking very still. If it weren't for the soft rising and falling of his chest, the genie would have thought that he was already dead.

Goku managed to emit a sigh of relief at the fact that his master was not in any way harmed. Although inwardly, he couldn't help but curse his stupidity for jumping to conclusions and going hysterical about one single nightmare that seemed anything but possible. After all, there was no way in the seven deserts of Tougenkyo that Sanzo could have misplaced the bottle that once housed Goku, right? Surely, calm composed (well, when he wasn't with people he hate anyway) Sanzo would place it in a safe place, away from prying eyes, right?

But he couldn't help but acquire a nagging suspicion that Sanzo could've thrown it in the inky depths of the Nile River, for all he cared. He also wouldn't put it past Sanzo to accidentally break it during one of his bad mood days (mainly, everyday). So in order to make sure, and since he had already caused enough trouble to last him a lifetime of punishments, _and _he could still hear the cold voice in his dreams saying triumphantly _"I am your master"_, the boy cautiously tiptoed towards Prince Sanzo's chest of drawers, making as little noise as possible so as not to wake him. He was going to find his magical bottle and calm his racing nerves even if it cost him severe deprivation of food.

This is not trespassing, Goku tried to convinced himself as he opened one of the drawers containing some books that Sanzo had yet to return to Hakkai's immensely big library. He was merely worried for his and Sanzo's safety, so it was only normal. Besides, his master would understand him perfectly well, wouldn't he? He found out the answer soon enough as he was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt the edge of a blade resting on the base of his neck.

"What do you think you're doing in my chambers at this time of the night, intruder?" a soft, deadly voice whispered behind him.

Goku, out of reflex, jumped out of the way, just as he heard the swishing sound of the sword slice the thin air where he had stood only a few seconds ago. He shuddered to think of what might've happened had he not dodged and once again, he scolded himself for not being able to sense movements inside the room. Instead, he focused on staring at the person who spoke. His eyes widened.

"Sanzo?" the genie murmured, his voice echoing off the walls as he pondered on how Sanzo could've sensed him inside the room, despite the fact that he had been careful not to wake him up. And then it also dawned on him that Sanzo must have not recognized him for who he was, owing to the fact that the darkness was making him blind and unlike him, Sanzo simply did not have a genie's magical ability to be able to see through the dark. "Sanzo, it's me. Goku."

A pause.

And then…

"Monkey boy?" came Sanzo's unmistakable voice. At first Goku thought it sounded as though he was surprised, but upon closer inspection and due to many hours of being beside the Prince, he recognized it as the familiar voice promising painful death. And at once he knew that coming here must've been such a bad idea.

"Y-yes, it's me, Sanzo," Goku replied in a voice that made me hard to believe that this was the same person who was shouting Sanzo's name to the heavens at the top of his lungs mere minutes ago.

For a while, Sanzo did not answer. Therefore, Goku had to settle for fiddling with his thumbs, shutting his eyes close, and dreading what would come once the silence was over. He was so sure that what he would get was…

"You _STUPID _monkey!"

"Ouch! Sanzo, that really hurt! Stop it!" Goku exclaimed as he ran to the other side of the room and narrowly missed being hit on the head by Sanzo's sword. He did his best to avoid Sanzo's gaze, but it was hard, seeing as the blonde prince was possibly seething with anger, he could feel it coming in waves even from his vantage hiding point. And, sure enough, when he looked at him, he saw his pale hands balled into fists and his stony, violet eyes burning with anger.

Goku gulped. "I'm sorry, Sanzo! Okay? Just…just stop hit-" He stopped midway when he felt one of the pillows hit him in the face instead, taking him by surprise and knocking him off his feet.

"_Sorry? _Sorry doesn't even cover it! You come here barging into my room in the middle of the bloody night, tricking me into thinking you're some fucking assassin or burglar or intruder, making me almost _kill _you (a very narrow miss! You could've been sliced in two within seconds, if you haven't dodged), searching through my personal belongings, which I would like to remind you, is a heavy crime that could cause you a lifetime sentence in jail (not that I care), and all you have to say for yourself is _sorry?_" Prince Sanzo bellowed.

At that moment, Goku had been willing to face an entire army and go to war rather than face the Sanzo that stood before him right now. He tried to open his mouth to defend himself, or maybe utter another apology that he knew would fall on deaf ears, but his throat suddenly seemed to go as dry as the Sahara desert and it felt as if a stone had been lodged inside it, making it impossible for him to speak.

"And I would like to know," a very livid Sanzo said as he stared down at the genie with a face that clearly said 'Disappear', "how the camel did you manage to get inside my room when I thought I had locked it?"

If possible, Goku would have melted at the intensity of Sanzo's glare. "I…erm…the doors…" Was all he was capable of saying, and thus, he motioned to the damaged doors.

The prince looked like a live, breathing dragon about to spout flames and offered no reassurance about Goku's fate, not that he expected him to. "What the _hell_ have you done?" he bawled.

"Uhh…sorry?" Goku squeaked, scratching his head and trying to inch away from him.

"I'm going to skin you alive!" Prince Sanzo hissed menacingly, his hands clenching and unclenching the hilt of his beloved sword, looking like he'd love to do nothing else in the world other than use it to torture Goku. "It'll take at least a day to repair the damage! That idiotic redhead would most probably bug me about how I'm being careless and irresponsible enough to let you enter this room without noticing… Hakkai'll overreact and go paranoid again, perhaps he'll give me another pointless suggestion about better security measures… And of course, once news reached that old hag, she's going to have a field day. That damned Queen! Probably thinking the whole thing's amusing again…."

By now, Goku was quite aware that Sanzo was more likely talking to himself. That, in itself, should have been enough to draw the golden-eyed boy's curiosity, yet he couldn't help but wonder how and why Sanzo was even thinking things like that. As far as he knew, Sanzo was not exactly the type of person he'd think who would remember and imagine exactly how his, er, companions (for Goku had never heard him address Gojyo and Hakkai as "friends") should behave given any situation.

He glanced helplessly back at the fuming Sanzo, who had now taken to pacing the room, still muttering to himself. And he decided that the best thing for him to do was simply to remain quiet. Perhaps he might be lucky and Sanzo's temper would cool off a bit long enough for him to have a conversation with Goku without shouting. Or perhaps he could sneak off to the back to his room using the window, which he noticed, was now open, allowing the cold night air to drift inside the room.

Goku was so lost in his thoughts that for the second time that night, he found himself close to having a heart attack when he heard the Prince's voice address him.

"Well?"

Goku looked at him, confusion etched all over his face. He wasn't even aware that Sanzo had stopped muttering, and was now looking at him with something akin to expectant. He hoped against hope that the blonde had not said anything that he did not hear, for he was sure to be in trouble for what seemed like the umpteenth time. "Umm…well what?" he asked innocently, blinking at him.

Sanzo let out a sigh of irritation. "Well?" he said again, in the same tone of voice he used earlier. "I don't think you came here in the middle of the night just to say hello, did you? Unless of course you value your life…" He glanced at his sword for a second. "What do you want? And could you explain why you had been secretly ransacking my drawers and why I am currently standing and looking at the remaining pieces of my bedroom's doors?"

What with Sanzo being angry with him and all, Goku had almost forgotten why he was even there in the first place. But now that he remembered, he felt rather foolish, mixed with a faint surge of fear at the thought of his nightmare. He looked straight at those expectant violet eyes with mottled emotions and began to speak, "I…oh, it was terrible, Sanzo! You…I-I saw you being killed by tha–that axe…Blood spilling everywhere…And then…then…there was this guy...He was laughing, and he said…he said…he…." He closed his eyes, trying not to think about what that strange man had said. "He said he was my new master. And… and I was so afraid, Sanzo, so, so afraid! I thought you were in danger…And I couldn't help myself…I simply had to know if you were safe, and if someone hadn't got hold of my bottle and became my new master…I was so _worried…_So worried…"

By the time he had regained some semblance of control over himself and had the strength to meet Sanzo's gaze again, he was mildly relieved to see that he did not appear mad. In fact, he thought he must have imagined the soft look in his master's eyes, for when he blinked it was soon replaced by the normal cool, penetrating stare he often had. He hung his head. "I'm sorry Sanzo," he whispered so softly that he thought he had not been heard.

"No use blaming it over you now, monkey. I had long since expected something like this to happen sooner or later, anyway," Sanzo told him with another sigh as he reclined on one of the armchairs resting against the wall, positioned just where he could have a nice view of the city beyond. "Besides, I hardly think that I could've done anything to prevent you from having stupid nightmares. But just so we're clear," he looked at him fixedly in the eye, "I am someone who is very difficult to get rid of. You can ask that moronic playboy, God knows how many times he's tried to slay me in the past even though he knew it'd never work."

It was like the atmosphere he had been in the other day before, when he had confided to Sanzo that he was scared of being alone in his room, and Sanzo, if he had not been mistaken, had given him the smallest words of comfort to abate his fears. Of course, he hardly looked concerned, but there was just something in his voice just a few seconds ago…

Despite the situation, Goku couldn't wipe away the grin that appeared on his face. "If you say so…" he said, shrugging helplessly. He then proceeded to sit at the foot of Sanzo's huge bed and watch him unblinkingly.

Sanzo felt a twinge of annoyance when he saw this. When was the genie going to learn that he wished to be left alone at all times? "And just who gave you permission to sit on my bed so casually? Don't get chummy with me. You're starting to act more and more like that redhead, it's so sickening…" he muttered with a glare. "Leave me be. I don't care if you sleep or not, but just go back to your room."

"But Sanzooooo!" Goku protested at once. His eyes once more took that innocent, childish quality that no mercenary or cold-hearted man had ever managed to escape. Even with his young heart, he knew that remark was just another attempt of Sanzo to cover his momentary show of weakness a while ago. He was so sure, yet he did not know what made him say that. "That's so unfair!"

"Oh?" Sanzo lifted one delicate blond eyebrow, that one single word he uttered dripping with sarcasm. "Kindly share your interesting thoughts behind this…so called unfairness."

Goku pouted. "Umm…well…" he said awkwardly, clearly not expecting this answer from Sanzo. But then his face brightened as though he had just found the perfect answer. "You always let Hakkai in your room without complaining or shouting death threats!"

Sanzo sighed in exasperation. He lifted a hand to massage his temple, where he suspected a headache was brewing. "That can hardly explain anything," he said.

"But Sanzoooooooooo….."

"I said no."

"But-"

"No, for the last time, you stupid whiny monkey! Go back to your room now or I'll be forced to tell Gojyo tomorrow morning about you going all panicky on me and disturbing me in the middle of the night," Sanzo snapped, his control swiftly evaporating.

"Huh? But you'd never do that Sanzo," Goku told him in a voice that was confident without even him knowing so. "I don't understand why you'd say something like that, because, well…you hate it when Gojyo knows about you being disturbed or something. You hate it because it'll make Gojyo happy."

Sanzo blinked. He was surprised. How did this brat, who had been barely with him for a week, have been able to see through him so easily when the other occupants of the palace, who had been with him all his life, could not? True, there were still some people (namely Hakkai, Gojyo and the Queen) who knew his personality very well, but they did not learn it in such a short amount of time. And stupid being that Goku is, he probably wasn't even aware of how dangerous this ability could be. No doubt, many people –such as other royal families, nobles, palace servants, the ones behind those unsuccessful assassinations, and other people who would either like him dead or want to be on his good graces– would want to meet such a person who could easily read the Tougenkyo Prince like a wide open book.

Meanwhile, said person was looking at Sanzo. He, like him, was a little startled, for he had never seen Sanzo think so deeply or so…quiet. It caused him to wonder if he had said anything that might have contributed to this new behavior of his, which was, for Goku, very scary. "Sanzo?" he said tentatively.

The Prince jolted out of his reverie and glared at Goku. "If you haven't got anything else to say except 'I'm leaving', I'll kill you," he said icily.

_He's back to normal again, _Goku realized. With nothing left to do, for his restlessness had finally come to an end only to be replaced by weariness, he decided that it would be best if he did exactly as Sanzo told him. "Okay then," he said cheerfully. "Goodnight Sanzo!"

Goku didn't even wait for a reply, assuming he would receive none. With a final wave, he turned his back towards Sanzo, so he missed the look of complete fury on the Prince's face when he saw the genie leap out of his open window.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

It was morning, precisely three days after the eventful trip to the Prince of Thieves secret headquarters, and Goku was seen chasing birds on the palace garden. Miraculously, he did not look at all like someone who had a bad nightmare last night. His loud, insistent laughter could be heard even from such a great distance, so that the servants and guards who were passing by felt compelled to stop and observe him. Whispers and gossip followed him, even if he did not notice it. Yes, if there was one negative thing in the Tougenkyo castle that could be observed, it was gossip. Everywhere, people talked about each other – who was seen in the company of who, who was heard talking about this and that, who was responsible for such scandalous events. Even the royal family was no exception. As of now, however, they had only one target – Goku.

"Did you hear? Yuki, one of the personal servants of the Queen, had seen him exit from the private quarters of…who else but the Prince?" whispered a dark haired maid to her friends as her eyes traveled across Goku's energetic form.

"But that's to be expected, isn't it? I heard it was the Prince who found him in the dirty streets of Chang'An and adopted him. So of course he must be really close to him. And now he's always hanging around with the Prince and his circle of friends. He's even in friendly terms with the Queen! All that achieved in a couple of days. How envious!"

"Yes, but you must've heard wrong, Hana! However popular that brat might be with the royal family, they all loathe him. Why, just the other day I myself had seen the Prince shouting at him in the kitchens as if he was some sort of horrible beast. He was so furious that the boy had made a big mess in the kitchens. And did you know, he almost threw him out of the kingdom, but I'm willing to bet that his trustworthy _friends _had stopped him. It's not surprising, since they've taken an immense liking to him, especially our lord Hakkai. But I wouldn't put it past him, since he always strikes me as a very nice, forgiving soul anyway," informed another girl.

"Well," speculated her other friend, "I do not quite blame them for hating that little horror. No offense to His Highness the Prince, but I think he did such a horrendous mistake in allowing the child to live here. He's a stupid, worthless creature that always wrecks havoc everywhere he go!"

"I agree! Such vermin shouldn't be permitted to walk freely around here. He would be better off locked in his room or banished. Ever since he had been around, it had been becoming more difficult for us maids to do our jobs, with him dirtying the palace with his presence!"

"You know, if you're going to talk about somebody, you must do it in a place where he can hear it. It's called _not _being rude," said a recognizable, cool voice.

The women gasped. In front of them, with one arm placed around the shoulders of the dark haired woman, and the other raking through his crimson long hair, stood Gojyo. He was wearing a knowing smirk, and when he met the servants' eyes, he winked at them suggestively. But there was something about his aura that displayed "Danger".

"My…my lord Gojyo!" one of the women exclaimed, clearly surprised.

"Such a shame, really…You're all very beautiful women," Gojyo began as he twirled one of the women's lock of hair around his finger, "And I was about to invite one of you to my bedroom too. But alas," he sighed and shook his head slowly, "you have such sharp tongues…" The women all blushed and shifted uncomfortably. "Indeed, I fear of what might happen if His Highness finds out of such matters being easily talked about behind his back…I wonder if he would consider it treason against him?"

The women looked horror-struck and petrified, their jaws hanging open. "Treason? My…my…my lord! Oh no, we're extremely sorry! We deeply regret talking about such things…but we-we…we were not aware that they could offend His Highness! Please, we beg you, my lord, don't tell him about what you heard! We swear we won't do it again!" they stammered.

Gojyo did a very marvelous job of pretending to look unconvinced. "Well…I don't know…Prince Sanzo will find out eventually…And he'll have my head for this…" he was heard muttering, and to his immense satisfaction, the servants promised to grant him anything they could do for him if he would only keep this matter quiet.

He sighed. "Oh, very well, seeing as I have a soft spot for beauties like you," he said, flashing them a grin as they, too, sighed with immense relief. "But I do hope you'd be so kind as to fetch me some of the best wines you can find in the market. I don't want to bother you with such a task but…"

"Oh, but it's not a bother at all!"

"It's the least we can do for keeping this a secret, my lord!"

"Please do not feel troubled for this request!"

"Alright, if you're sure…" Gojyo watched them run away and only then when they were out of his sight did he laugh. Oh, the cleverness of him… But it was this sudden laugh that had reached Goku's sharp hearing, and Gojyo found him running over to him, waving cheerfully.

"Hi there, perverted scorpion! I didn't know you were already awake. What are you looking so happy about?" Goku greeted, looking inquiringly at Gojyo, who was still sporting a very proud, satisfied grin on his face.

"Nothing you'd find interesting, stupid monkey," Gojyo replied, ruffling the brunette's hair as a sort of greeting. He did not think it wise to mention about the gossip he had heard just a while ago. For one thing, he did not know what reaction he would see from Goku. There was a possibility that he might either ignore it like Sanzo or get upset and do God knows what to those women, and even though Gojyo was inclined to agree that they would deserve it, he knew that it would only make matters worse for the genie. And for another thing, he might be too stupid to understand.

Thankfully, Goku did not pursue the matter further. He had other things in his mind. "Where's Sanzo?" he immediately asked.

Gojyo shrugged. "Maybe he went off and killed himself…" he said hopefully.

Goku, who still hadn't forgotten about his nightmare last night, stared horrified at Gojyo. "Don't…don't say stuff like that!" he yelled, his voice shaking, taking Gojyo by surprise. He knew Gojyo meant it only as a joke, yet he couldn't help but feel upset.

"Fine, fine…I won't. Just calm down, you protective goose head," Gojyo told him. He had been expecting Goku to get a little angry and call him names, but not so angry as to have all the color on his face drained. "I don't know why you're so worried anyway…"

Goku felt he didn't have the heart to response to Gojyo's use of offensive nicknames. Instead he just stared at the redhead, who was staring right back, as if trying to get him to spill whatever he was hiding. Neither moved, and it was only when one of the servants came hurrying towards Gojyo and informed him that it was time for the Prince's training with him did they break eye contact.

"Oh, what a damper it is to be so popular!" Gojyo said, his hand on his hair, as he pulled off another melodramatic sigh. He did not see the young genie rolling his eyes behind his back. "But alas! I shall have to leave you now, foolish monkey, to journey to the pits of Hell and meet the evil beast with the cruel glare and ferocious snarls!"

Goku looked at him weirdly. "Stop talking nonsense, Gojyo! It makes you sound stupider than you really are," he commented. His eyes brightened. " But did you say you're going to meet Sanzo?"

The Prince's companion gave him a roguish grin and chose to ignore Goku's earlier comment, for he had once again thought of another brilliant plan that might truly make his day. "Why, yes. We, that is, the Prince and I, are going to train." At Goku's puzzled look, he added, "You know, with swords and stuff. It's part of Sanzo's duty as a prince to know these things." He paused for a moment to observe the genie's reaction.

"Really? Wow! I've never handled a sword before! I bet it's really fun! Can I come? Can I? Can I? Can I?" Goku practically bounced on his feet in excitement.

The grin on Gojyo's face remained. "I'm sure no one would object. But first, you will have to do me a little favor."

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"No."

Prince Sanzo sent an icy glare directed at the captain of the guards, his hands crossed over his chest. He watched in satisfaction as the captain's stance slowly lost its authoritative air with each passing minute.

Today, the Prince was not in a very good mood, owing to the fact that he had been roused from sleep by a particularly loud, alarming shriek from one of the palace maids, who was about to do her morning duty of bringing breakfast to the Prince, but instead found remaining bits and pieces of His Highness' bedroom doors scattered on the floor. Said maid then, thinking that a raid or another attempted assassination took place, rushed to the guard captain and proceeded to tell him exactly what happened, not even stopping to verify if her 'astute' observation was correct, or to even check on the Prince's condition. And the guard, assuming the worst, frantically went to the Prince's royal chambers with sword unsheathed, only to find a disgruntled blonde who was in no mood to relate the events that took place the night before.

"But, Your Highness, I am sure the Queen would want to be informed of this event and –"

"I said _no._ This has nothing to do with her, precisely because there are no attacks or assassinations that took place last night, and I don't think it is in my station to explain every single thing or mistake that happened in my life to you. Now, if you do not want to suffer the same fate as these doors, you will speak of this to no one and leave me to attend my training session in peace. Are we clear on that matter?"

The captain, afraid of Sanzo's temper and the effects it would do to his captaincy if he dared to disobey him, stammered, "V-very well, Prince Sanzo. I bid my leave." With that, he positively fled from the room as fast as his dignity may allow him, followed almost immediately by the servant girl who made a hasty bow before Sanzo.

The blonde prince sighed and massaged his temples. It was one thing to deal with a paranoid genie last night, and it was another to be faced with nosy, annoying palace people so early in the morning. He wondered if he'd be rendered insane even before he was crowned Sultan. But the clicking of heels that announced the arrival of the royal advisor Hakkai interrupted his thoughts.

"Today sure is sunny. Not a dark cloud is in the sky. It perfectly suits your tastes, does it not, Your Highness?" Hakkai said politely. He was, as usual, smiling that outlandish, cheerful smile that gave grand emphasis on the greenness of his eyes, and on this particular day, he was wearing silk robes the color of beige, with hints of forest green on the edges.

Sanzo barely spared him a glance. "Don't you 'Your Highness' me today, Hakkai," he told the advisor. "Only you would comment on such things like the weather," he scoffed, "As if I care about trivial things like that."

Hakkai was not discouraged by this great display of low morals. "That is true, of course. Ah, but I do believe that there are other things that you would care about. Like a certain enthusiastic genie I had met in the corridors a while ago," he said knowingly.

Sanzo's eyes flashed and he turned to face his companion. "You knew about last night, don't you?" he hissed.

"Yes," Hakkai replied without a moment's hesitation as he moved to stand beside the Prince to look at the breathtaking view from the window. "I was lying awake on my bed two floors below you when I heard Goku's shouts and the pounding of doors. And I guessed enough to know what happened next."

"And it never occurred to you that maybe you should have stopped him from bothering me, or destroying my doors? It might have saved me a lot of trouble," Sanzo spat angrily. He could not believe that he had endured interruptions last night all because the man standing and smiling next to him was too lazy or sadistic to do something about the situation.

"But you seemed to handle everything well enough. Perhaps there is something you have learned from Goku's stay here after all," Hakkai said, oblivious, or maybe pretending to be, to the Prince's mounting anger. Instead he continued to gaze at the window, lost in his thoughts.

Sanzo finally gave up. He knew Hakkai enough to know what he had been thinking about in the middle of the night, and what he would tell him lest he ask him about why he was being such a pain. He could almost hear the words "_It was for your own good" _coming from him so it was wise to just give it up. He gave a hearty chuckle so contradictory to what he was feeling. "Tch. How ironic. When it should have been that genie protecting me, his supposed master (not that I recognize myself as that), I was the one who ended up comforting him," he said softly to the silent room. "I don't think I like it."

"Most of the time, things people don't like end up being the things they truly need," Hakkai said sagely.

Sanzo snorted in a very un-Prince way and chose to ignore the underlying meaning of the man's words. He was never a man to believe in proverbs and sayings anyway. "And where did you get that? From some worn-out, dusty scroll rotting in the palace's library?" he said.

"No. I'm speaking from experience, I guess," Hakkai told him truthfully, and this time, the laughter that escaped from his lips was laced with bitterness and nostalgia.

Any signs of anger from the Prince were immediately quelled upon seeing his very own advisor behaving like this. Of course, he was no stranger to these moments, for Hakkai had them almost infrequently as he had his, which were quite scary, by the way. But knowing them did not make them any less enjoyable. For buried beneath the cheerful smiles and gentle comments, was a man of loneliness and bitterness. It was only thanks to the several years of solid friendship between the two of them that made Sanzo bite down any scathing remark he might have said and opted to let the silence stretch on.

Finally, Hakkai recovered himself and was instantly reminded that he was not alone in this room. He gave the Prince an embarrassed smile. "I apologize for that, Sanzo," he said, finally leaving the formalities behind him. "It was most insensitive for me to do that."

Sanzo would have told him in a heartbeat that he did not care whether Hakkai burst to tears in front of him or not, but he seriously doubted the green-eyed man would appreciate that. So instead, he gracefully rose from the comfortable chair he had been sitting on, and said in an indifferent, casual voice that could have fooled Hakkai, "No matter. I could not possibly be bothered with your apologies. Right now, you will have to accompany me to my training with that insufferable redhead."

Hakkai tried his best to conceal his smile. If he were to base this reaction to the past reactions made by the blonde, he was safe to say that all was well and forgiven. "Of course," he said politely as he followed Sanzo outside the door and down the long marble staircase and dark, narrow corridors that led to the royal training room. Several guards, servants, and messengers that they passed on their way bowed lowly and greeted them deferentially, and they received nods and replies from him and the Prince.

After several moments of conversing with one of the royal officials who gave a parting message from the Sultan himself that his presence would be needed at the antechamber later that day, Hakkai and Sanzo reached the training room, only to find the familiar face of Gojyo standing at the very center of the room, lazily fending off sword attacks from an equally frustrated Goku, who seemed to be taking Gojyo's lack of interest as a personal insult. It was only after his second try, wherein he was sent flying to the direction of the entrance doors by a powerful thrust from his opponent, did they notice who had arrived.

"Sanzo! Hakkai!" Goku shouted gleefully. He abandoned his sword and rushed to meet his master and friend, and upon closer look, both noticed that the youth's face was marred with sweat and a few fading bruises, no doubt from his mock duel with the redhead. "You're finally here! I've been waiting for you for ages! Where's Hakuryuu, Hakkai? I've been wanting to ride him ever since this morning, but I couldn't find him, and you were already gone from your bedroom so I couldn't ask."

"Ugh! Would you shut up for just a minute, monkey? Your endless babble is making my head hurt," Sanzo grumbled as he lifted a hand to massage his forehead. He hadn't even made it to the center of the room but Goku's magical skills on talking were already taking its toll on him.

Goku pouted and was not deterred, so he moved and badgered Hakkai instead, who calmly told him, "Hakuryuu, I believe, was not feeling well this morning, so I sent him to the palace doctor on the West Wing." The West Wing, as known by the palace occupants, was the small area of the castle where sick people, and even pets, were treated.

"What for?" Gojyo interrupted, as he too, lazily made his way over to the three of them. "You can mend anyone in this country, as long as it moves and breathes, Hakkai."

"You mean, Hakkai is also a doctor?" Goku asked in amazement.

"Why yes, but I'm afraid it's nothing to be proud of," Hakkai said, modest as ever. "A few years ago…" a pause, "…I failed to finish my apprenticeship as a doctor due to certain circumstances, so I am considered a danger to those who have trust in my abilities to heal them."

Gojyo groaned. "Stop being so humble, Hakkai. It's making me throw up," he said sincerely and did a perfect imitation of a man in obvious pain, releasing his recent breakfast to the floor.

"And you, stupid leech, should learn the exact opposite," Sanzo remarked, smirking at Gojyo's enraged look.

"Why, you!" Gojyo exclaimed, along with a series of curses especially addressed for Sanzo that would have made even the toughest of sailors blush. He grabbed the hilt of his sword, picked up Goku's forgotten one on the floor, and offered it to Sanzo. "A duel, then, instead of this useless talks about doctors and modesties." He watched Sanzo take it from his outstretched hands.

"A chance for me to beat _you_ again? Surely, I wouldn't pass that up?" Prince Sanzo drawled, oblivious to Goku's yells of anticipation. He gave Gojyo a passing glance, as though measuring him up. The others may not realize it, but he thought he imagined a hint of smugness and triumph in the dark skinned man's tone.

He and Gojyo stood facing each other, their battle stances displaying alertness and cautiousness. Sanzo's long, pale hands were tightly wrapped around his sword hilt, and his eyes caught sight of Gojyo twirling his own as if holding a baton, no doubt to show off. To Sanzo's great contempt, however, it seemed to be working, as evident by the wondrous look on Goku's face.

They circled each other like a pack of hungry, deadly wolves, trying to find an opening. After what seemed like hours, Sanzo found one when Gojyo moved his sword to his left side, and thus, the fight began. They thrust, parried, and blocked. Sword to sword. Man to man. Violet to red. By the time of their third round, Sanzo was perspiring terribly, his cheeks flushed, and knuckles white from gripping his sword too hard; while Gojyo was leaning forward with the balls on his feet, panting as though he had been chased by bandits. Neither was weak enough to admit defeat.

Meanwhile, Hakkai, from his vantage point in the corner, watched the battle with impassive eyes. He had often been the only audience to witness the continuous fights between those two, and he prided himself in knowing their styles and techniques. Sanzo, he noted, was cool yet unpredictable. His movements were fluid, precise and deadly, depending on his mood, and there was a certain graceful quality in it that made it so hypnotizing. Gojyo, on the other hand, was a man of force. It was his strength, as well as his weakness. He fought ruthlessly and rashly, making him quite different from the ideal soldiers found in fairy tales. But today though, Hakkai observed, there was something different with the way Gojyo fought. His face was more concentrated, more relaxed, and each thrust from Sanzo he blocked perfectly. Hakkai frowned thoughtfully, a suspicion lurking in his mind. Perhaps…

He diverted his attention to Goku, who had now taken to opening his mouth in astonishment and constantly cheering his master on. "Who do you think would win?" he asked him.

Goku blinked, and turned his face away from the fight. "They both fight so well! Don't tell the perverted scorpion, though," he added hastily. His features were scrunched up, as though what he was about to say next was against his will. "Sanzo, especially, is very good. But I think Gojyo's going to win though."

Hakkai was surprised. But at the same time, Goku's words explained a lot of unclear questions he never had the answer for. "Is that so? Perhaps you are unaware that Sanzo had never lost a match to him before," he told him.

Goku slapped his forehead with his hand and groaned in frustration. "Ugh! That means this would be the water monster's first victory? Great! He'll never quit boasting about it!" he complained, as though he was truly sure of Gojyo's abilities to win.

"I see…" Hakkai muttered and returned his concentration to the match.

By this time, it was hard to determine the winner. Sanzo was now using one of his advantages in maximum– his speed. He swung his sword to the right, hitting Gojyo's shoulder. His opponent gritted his teeth to keep himself from screaming from the pain, and retaliated by blocking another sword attack halfway to his midriff, and then quickly directing his blade to Sanzo's pale neck while the blonde paused for a second. That second soon proved to be his downfall. Both figures stopped, and silence ensued for a minute, wherein Sanzo looked directly into Gojyo's triumphant scarlet-like eyes.

"I win." Gojyo slowly withdrew his sword. His look was that of one whose birthday had come much earlier than expected, and such a look would surely be hard to get rid of.

Sanzo narrowed his eyes. He felt as though his knees had gone weak, but still, he forced himself to stand up. He could not believe it. After many years, Gojyo had finally beaten him. It was unforgivable. Unnerving. He, the Prince of Tougenkyo who had been training daily in the early hours of the morning and evening without fail, had lost to… a water sprite. A very strong, formidable opponent, but a water sprite nonetheless. Did this mean that he was getting weaker? Did this mean that allowing Goku residence in the palace was a fatal mistake? Or could it be that Gojyo had somehow managed to memorize all his techniques, thus, enabling him an easy victory?

"Speechless, my Prince?" Gojyo said, grinning widely like a Cheshire Cat. He wiped the sweat trickling down his face with the back of his hand, laughing at the mild expression on Hakkai's face.

But whatever victorious speech Gojyo had planned on saying, it was interrupted, much to Sanzo's pleasure. The doors of the training room opened, and a servant came in, bowing so low it seemed as though her forehead was so close to touching the marble floor. A barely audible "Your Highness" was heard, and it wasn't until Sanzo irritably told her to rise did she meet their eyes. All of them, except Gojyo who was turning red with fury (what a long and marvelous speech he had made!), looked curiously at the girl who was trembling very badly, from her fingers up to her toes. A mask of complete terror was etched on her coffee-colored face.

"What is it?" Sanzo snapped.

Whatever the reason for the poor girl's frightened state, Sanzo's harsh tone did nothing to quell it. Her lips moved, as though to speak, but no words came out of it. She flinched as Sanzo spoke to her again.

"Well? Are we supposed to wait all day for you to tell us whatever it is you are tasked to say?"

Hakkai gave the Prince something that resembled a reprimanding stare. "What His Highness means is," he told the servant in his gentlest tone, "please do not be afraid to speak to us."

The maid, despite Sanzo's earlier orders, bowed again. "For…forgive me, Your Highness," she stammered, her eyes wide and fearful, thoughts about beheading and jail sentences racing through her mind. "I…I…I was sent to…to…inform you that something…something happened in the kitchens earlier…"

Sanzo raised one blonde eyebrow. "Oh? And what, pray tell, is it? Another food fight?" he said disinterestedly.

The maid trembled again. "N-no, Prince Sanzo…" she managed to say. "It was one of the servants assigned to the kitchen, Your Highness…She…she collapsed in the middle of preparing the soup for lunch, you see…We called the doctor, and…and he said that you must be notified and should proceed to the West Wing immediately. He said…that it required your attention…"

Prince Sanzo, for his part, did not ask any questions, nor did he allow the others to do so. He nodded formally, all traces of defeat and exhaustion gone. As a Prince, he had learned early on in life that there are certain times wherein action was needed, and questions and explanations were saved for later. No doubt, he was confident that he would be able to find them from the palace doctor.

"Very well."

With that, he stoically sheathed his sword and proceeded to exit through the large mahogany doors that led to the corridors outside. The other members of his party, including Gojyo, did the same and followed him. Their steps as they moved against the polished marble floor were quick and hurried. Time to time, Goku the genie would start asking questions, none of which Sanzo answered.

At last, they reached the West Wing. I am sure, from bits of information that had been stated earlier, that you could vividly imagine what this small part of the castle looks like. It was purely white, starting from the ceiling, down to the walls and the floors, giving the place a distinct air of cleanliness. In the air wafted the scent of hundreds of herbs – basil, mint, cumin, cloves- and even blood, though it was thankfully not so strong as to suffocate and disturb them. Some doors, which were left open, revealed several neatly, arranged beds covered in clean white sheets. Some of them housed soldiers, either from this kingdom or from others, who were injured due to a past war or truffle. Other people's conditions were not so serious, such as children who are suffering from a fever, cold or a nasty cut due to carelessness. And tending to them are several people, no more than ten, all of whom are apprentices of the doctor.

Goku wrinkled his nose in distaste and figured that he liked this part of the palace least.

'This way, Goku," Sanzo snapped as he saw the young boy attempting to open another door.

They reached one of the last doors, and Sanzo need not knocked, for at that precise moment, an old man, with a white, grayish beard that reached past his neck, opened the door. He was dressed in a humble attire of gray robes frayed in the edges, giving him a rather wrinkled, weather-beaten appearance. His eyes, which were, as the rest of his attire, a dull shade of gray, glowed considerably with respect once he caught sight of the Prince's regal, confident frame.

"Ah, Prince Sanzo," the old man murmured as he bowed. Later on, Hakkai, the intellectual that he is, would comment to the others how much "like a strong, resilient bamboo from the wilderness bowing before the heavy force of Mother Nature" he is. He welcomed the group to enter the room, which they found out was littered with countless dusty scrolls, books, tools, and not to mention, all kinds of medicinal herbs. Aside from a few moth-eaten chairs beside the study, and a small bed where a pale girl was wrapped in blankets, they could not find any other decoration that would make the room fit for human habitation.

"Doctor," Sanzo addressed the man. "You have something you wish to inform me?"

"Indeed," the doctor said gravely, nodding his head. For a fraction of a second, his eyes flickered towards the resting young girl on the bed. "I believe one of the servants already told you about the certain…ah…incident earlier in the kitchens?"

"Yes," Sanzo said slowly, and a look of dawning comprehension crossed his features.

"Well…it would be very difficult to tell you this, Your Highness…and I…"

"Oh, just get to the heart of the matter!" Gojyo exclaimed impatiently and rather harshly. It was not as though he hated the man. Oh, no, it was not that. Although of course, he could never deny that he harbored a grudge towards him due to the physical and mental torture he was always subjected to whenever he was forced to spend the night in the West Wing due to bruises and wounds caused by several man-to-man brawls.

The doctor sighed. "What happened…It is most unexpected…" he muttered in a harassed tone. "You see, this servant," he looked again in the direction of the girl, "confessed to me after I had fed her the necessary herbs, that she collapsed only, and I mean only, a minute after she had consumed the meal that was supposed to…to…to be sent to you for breakfast, Prince Sanzo."

Sanzo swore at the same time Hakkai gasped, his green eyes widening. "You aren't thinking…no, it can't be…"

The doctor nodded for confirmation.

Goku looked at the doctor and Hakkai. In truth, he knew nothing about the situation, except that the servant collapsed, but apparently, both of them discovered something. Something terrible. "What? What is it? I don't understand," he said.

Sanzo barely spared him a glance. "Don't you see?" he said softly. "The girl collapsed…because she was poisoned."

"So?"

"And that food," Sanzo continued, his whole countenance rigid, "was supposed to be for me."

"So?"

"What do you mean 'so'?" Gojyo replied angrily. The fire blazing in his eyes was the only indication of his barely concealed anger, not at Goku, but at the whole problem. "That means that someone tried to poison _Sanzo_."

"**_What?"_**

"And now the monkey finally gets it."

Goku's eyes were so large that ten planets would fit comfortably in it, and he did nothing to hide his obvious surprise as his mouth practically hit the floor. He felt as if he were drowning in an endless sea of despair and confusion. "H…how…But…._Why?_" he sputtered.

"How should we know?" Gojyo asked irritably.

"But if the servant was indeed poisoned, what of her condition?" Sanzo asked.

The doctor sighed. "Luckily, the other servants brought her here on time, so I was able to give her an antidote to counter the poison. All she needs now is a couple of days to rest, and she would then be fit again for work. But had she been brought at a much later time...I shudder to think of what might happen to the poor girl...It was a different type of poison indeed..."

Sanzo, meanwhile, noticed the odd look on Hakkai's face. That meant that he was usually thinking something. And from his experience, whatever Hakkai's suspicions might be is almost always proven to be correct. "Hakkai, what is it?"

"That servant girl…" Hakkai started, not knowing how best to tell his thoughts. "I know her not by name, but by face. Gojyo, isn't she the one you and the other maids always tease about having a large appetite?"

Gojyo frowned and scratched his chin. "Now that you think of it…" he said thoughtfully. "I do remember her, and gods, she's _famous _for having an appetite that could probably give Goku a run for his money. Yes, yes…I'm more than sure of it. Why, just the other day she and that curvaceous looking cook had a fight over food… But I told them suavely, 'Food? You're fighting about two meals that are right in front of me?' And then they blushed and made those squealing noises so feminine, and then I said - "

Sanzo looked at his companion in absolute disgust, as though he had never quite met someone as bold as him. "Enough of those foolish stories about your escapades in the kitchen. In case you haven't noticed, we are in the middle of a serious discussion," he said icily while Goku chanted "Perverted scorpion" over and over until he had to bury his fist on his head in order to stop the noise.

"Touchy," Gojyo said, smirking.

"Who knows of this incident?" Sanzo asked the doctor instead.

"No one yet, Your Highness," the doctor answered promptly, all signs of nervousness gone. "Forgive me, but I have yet to inform the Sultan, for he is busy conferring with some dignitaries in his private chambers. Her Majesty, Queen Kanzeon, on the other hand, had accompanied Lady Gyoukumen Koushu on a lovely walk and had not yet arrived since their departure this morning. I had only felt that it is my duty to tell this to you first."

"I see," Sanzo replied curtly, quite pleased. "If that is the case, then you would not mind to keep it just between the five of us?"

"You mean…you mean, not tell the Queen? And the Sultan?" the doctor squeaked.

"Exactly. I do not wish to trouble them," Sanzo lied. "Isn't it so, Hakkai?"

Hakkai nodded and smiled patently. "Oh, yes, I very much agree with his Highness. What a wise decision," he said smoothly.

And thus, the doctor finally consented. For who was he to argue and disagree with the famous royal advisor Hakkai, the wisest of them all?

"So then, Prince Sanzo, what do you wish to do about this matter? How should we prevent it?"

"Nothing," the Prince stated, to the astonishment of the doctor. "It seems to me that whoever was responsible for this…trick, knew that the servant would most likely eat my meal. He or she deliberately and purposely did this in the knowledge that I would survive."

"But why?" It was Goku again.

"I do not know. However, I have this to say. Let them go. Let them return to their master and tell them that their mission succeeded. Let them attack; let them plan my death, and yours too. But should they do so, I promise you this: they would suffer from the wrath of the sword that belongs to I, Prince Sanzo of the Tougenkyo Kingdom."

"That's the weirdest thing you've said all day, Sanzo!" Goku told him bluntly, looking quite disturbed.

"Way to ruin the moment, you idiot!" Gojyo exclaimed as he smacked the genie on the forehead.

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"So…our first mission has now come to an end."

"Indeed, our work here is done."

"What a character that Prince of Tougenkyo is though…"

"Oh, yes, I'm sure if _he _were here, he would have found him highly entertaining."

"But why, though?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why did _he _make us do it? Poison the Prince's meal, knowing that the servant we assigned to it would eat it anyway?"

Snort. "Knowing _him _and _his _morals, he wanted to give their party an advanced warning. He wanted it fair. So that when he would strike, they would be ready."

"He also wanted it to be amusing."

"Yes."

"…"

" So, is this the part where we ride off into the night with our capes billowing behind us and our horses as fast as the swish of a knife, just like those war gods and villains in the stories?"

"No, of course not, you fool. After all, we've but camels and the hot midday sun ahead of us, right?"

Groan. "Ah, right."

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AN: And there you have it. The end of the chapter. I apologize for the characters' OOCness. My writing skills have dropped from a mere 1 to 0. And yeah, I know, that last bit wasn't supposed to be all dialogues and no descriptions in the end, but erm…Patto-chan convinced me it will just have to do. Don't forget to review!


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